A Port Mourant land surveyor, who fell to the ground during a fight with a known associate, was later picked up in front of his residence yesterday morning and rushed to the Port Mourant Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Dead is Mahendra Mangru, 44, owner of Mangru’s Associates, and of Lot 292, Block 5, Ankerville, Port Mourant.
Investigators were told that the suspect, who returned a few years ago from overseas, reportedly visited Mangru’s house sometime around 6.15 am yesterday to uplift a sum of money allegedly owed to him for some renovation works done on the lower flat of Mangru’s house.
According to a police source, the suspect has claimed, that Mangru refused to pay him claiming that he was dissatisfied with the work carried out.
However, the suspect is now claiming, that after he informed Mangru that he would alert the police, Mangru allegedly armed himself with a cutlass and chopped him with it. The suspect also claimed he then disarmed Mangru and dealt him “some injuries” causing him to fall to the ground.
According to relatives, they only saw that Mangru had sustained a bite injury to his right hand. They said that they are awaiting a post-mortem examination to know the exact cause of his death.
However, according to a police source, Mangru sustained a suspected bite wound to his right thumb, an abrasion behind the right foot, a swollen left jaw and minor abrasions to his feet, while the suspect sustained a cut to the left side of his head.
Stabroek News was told, that the suspect then went to the Port Mourant Hospital to seek medical attention after which he proceeded to the Whim Police Station to file a report.
It was around 6:45 am that ranks ventured to the scene and picked up Mangru, who was unconscious at that time, and rushed him to the Port Mourant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, Mangru’s relatives have strongly denied claims that the suspect worked with him or that Mangru owed the suspect any money.
Mangru’s overseas-based wife, Monica Prasad, also known as ‘Shabna’, 39, yesterday told Stabroek News via telephone, that she was present in Guyana early last month when her husband gave a large sum of cash to the suspect after he promised to secure a business license. “He tell meh husband them can start a lil business together and I seh since me husband alone deh that will take up his time.”
The woman said that indeed they had completed some renovations to their house to open the business but that was done by other “workman” who her husband hired.
However, according to the woman, her husband demanded the suspect return his money since he had failed to start the process to secure a business license, “After he dodging meh husband, meh husband tell he to give he back the money and he [Mangru] will do it himself.”
Prasad, who migrated to the US some two and a half years ago, said she spoke with her husband on Monday when he told her that the suspect had left his son with him and gone out. “Every time he gone out he a leff he son dey and meh husband call me and say watch he leff the boy and he na bring the money yet.”
The woman explained, that anytime the suspect visited their home Mangru would assist him with some money whenever he needed.
Prasad noted, that her husband, a father of two, was well known in the community for his generosity, “He like help people, if you na get nowhere to live he would help you out.”
The distraught woman is calling on the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
