Several persons were recently re-interviewed as the police continue to investigate the murder of Haresh Singh, the West Coast Berbice (WCB) teenager who was murdered more than eight months ago in a suspected reprisal killing.
This was confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who when contacted for an update told Sunday Stabroek that the investigation remains active.
Blanhum said ranks from the Guyana Police Force’s Major Crimes Unit and the Region Five Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are collaborating for the investigation.
Seventeen-year-old Singh, also known as ‘Raj’, of Lot 8, Number 3 Village, WCB, was found with head injuries and chop wounds along the No. 2 Village backdam on September 9th, 2020.
Singh left home on his motorcycle to tend to his farm in the backdam of No. 3 Village, WCB.
Sometime after, his relatives saw smoke rising from the backdam and left to investigate. They then discovered the body of Singh lying motionless. His nose was bleeding. His motorcycle had also been burnt.
An autopsy later concluded that he died as a result of brain haemorrhaging and blunt trauma to the head, compounded by compression injuries to his neck.
Singh was murdered days after teenage cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry were slain. Singh’s murder was believed to be a reprisal killing as several of his relatives had been initially held in connection with the murder of the cousins.
During the investigation into Singh’s murder, a number of persons were detained for questioning. However no charge has been laid.
Blanhum had previously told Stabroek News that “all of the police efforts and resources will be dedicated to bring the matter to finality”.
Late February, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon met with Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie and senior members of the force to discuss a number of issues.
Following the meeting, Harmon had told reporters that the investigation into the death of Singh was raised and the police had signalled that they are hopeful of securing a conviction in the case although no timeline was given.
Over the past few months, relatives of Singh staged a number of protest calling for justice.
They stressed that they are tired of waiting on the police to make a breakthrough in the case. The latest protest was held outside of the Office of the President.
The relative had said that they are beginning to think that the matter has been forgotten.
“It looks like the police give up but we the family we will not give up. We need justice for Haresh,” a relative, who wished not to be named, had said.
Speaking to Sunday Stabroek last Thursday, an aunt of Singh, Romona Balgobin confirmed that the police did visit the family several days prior and related that the investigation is still ongoing.
The family was not provided with any other details.
According to Balgobin, the family is determined in its quest for justice.
She believes that by now the individual/s who are responsible for the crime should have already been caught. “I think it’s long enough and they [police] supposed to get whoever responsible for this now,” Balgobin said.
She added that the family had plans to protest further but put them on hold only because the police made contact with them. “…..Because they (police) visiting that is why we not going out and protest…We supposed to go out back and then we say as they coming let we wait and see what going on,” Balgobin noted.
