The police are investigating the killing of a 42-year-old rice farmer of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was stabbed and beaten in an altercation on Tuesday night.
The dead man has been identified as Richard Persaud, called ‘Rasho,’ of Wash Clothes, Mahaicony.
The Guyana Police Force said in a statement that the fatal altercation occurred sometime about 21:30 hrs on Tuesday and involved the now dead man, his drinking buddies and the suspect.
Based on initial investigations, Persaud and his friends – a 34-year-old labourer and another man – were all cooking and drinking at the labourer’s home.
At about 21:30 hrs an eyewitness reported that he saw a 25-year-old rice farmer of Johanna Creek, Mahaicony driving his tractor and that he hit a rear wheel of motor truck GEE 4715, owned by Persaud’s friend.
The vehicle was parked on the western side of Wash Clothes road and as result of the collision, it was damaged. The eyewitness also reported that the driver of the tractor was being tailed by his 36-year-old brother in a car.
As a result of the accident, an argument ensued between Persaud’s friend, the 34-year-old labourer, and the brother of the tractor driver. The brother of the tractor driver allegedly went into his car and retrieved an object, which he used to stab the labourer.
The police said Persaud and the other friend then attacked the man, who ran for shelter into a yard.
The police said that it is unclear what transpired after that since Persaud was not seen nor did he return home following the episode. As a result, his family formed a search party and began looking for him.
Persaud’s body was discovered at about 09:00 hrs yesterday floating in the trench in front of the home of his friend.
The body was retrieved from the trench and examined. A stab wound was seen in the middle of his chest and he had bruises to the left eye.
The body was escorted to the Mahaicony Public Hospital, where it was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty and later escorted to Bailey’s Funeral Parlour to await an autopsy.
