A cattle farmer was yesterday remanded to prison after he was charged with the murder of Black Bush rice farmer, Chanderpaul Navin Dhuman.
However, the second suspect who is accused of assaulting Dhuman during the attack is yet to face any charges.
Bertram Ramnauth, 33, of Lot 88 Johanna South, Black Bush Polder, appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh at the Whim Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he was charged with murdering Dhuman between 30th December, 2019 and 1st January, 2020.
Ramnauth was represented by attorney at law, Sasha Roberts, who was holding for attorney at law, Murseline Bacchus. Roberts told the court that her client denied committing the act, while stating that he had no prior matters. She also asked for disclosure.
Ramnauth, a father of four, will return to the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court on January 21.
Dhuman, also known as “Jack”, 35, of Lot 28 Johanna North, Black Bush Polder, sustained major head injuries and internal bleeding during the attack.
The police in their statement to the press had noted that they were investigating Dhuman’s murder allegedly committed by “two males of the same community”.
Dhuman’s mother, Indranie Ramjanam, had told Stabroek News, that her son, a father of four, left home the afternoon of Monday (30 December, 2019) to inform a resident living at the head of their street that their cattle had destroyed his rice, “He go complain to them and like them argue. Me hear them cuff he up and he cuff them back and he pick he bicycle and ride away but them take them motorbike and ride behind he and one lash he down with an iron bar and one kick he up”, she said.
An injured Dhuman reportedly got up and rushed to a friend’s house seeking refuge until his relatives were informed.
The police also in their statement confirmed, that the men continued to physically assault the victim after he was struck with the iron bar.
According to a police source yesterday, the second suspect has since been released from police custody and it is unclear whether he would face any charges since legal advice is not being sought in relation to charging him.
Dhuman was rushed to the Mibicuri Public Hospital after which he was transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital and subsequently to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed during the wee hours of Wednesday (1 January, 2020) morning in the Intensive Care Unit while on a life support machine.
The suspects were arrested hours after Dhuman succumbed to his injuries. Relatives stated, that initially after the attack they filed a report at the Mibicuri Police Station but the men were not arrested. It was until a relative filed a report at the Whim Police Station that detectives visited the area and arrested the suspects.
