A Reliance Settlement, East Canje Berbice man is calling on the Guyana Police Force to reopen the investigation into the murder of his 16-year-old son, Vivian Singh Balrup at Number 63 Beach 14 years ago.
According to the elderly man, he will continue to fight for justice for his son “until his last breath.”
Kirpal Singh Balrup, 63, of Lot 5 Reliance Settle-ment, East Canje Berbice told the Sunday Stabroek that the death of the young man fourteen years ago still haunts his family.
On November 8 2009, Vivian left home in a taxi around 10:00 hrs with a driver he had hired and a 19-year-old male cousin. They picked up two teenage girls, one of whom shared a close relationship with Vivian.
Balrup is sure that robbery was not the motive for the killing because his son’s gold chain, cell phone, a Lacoste watch as well as a pair of Adidas boots he was wearing and the $8,000 he had on his person at the time were not touched.
Vivian sustained several blows to the back of his head, which caused a gaping wound that bled profusely. He was eventually rushed to the New Amster-dam Public Hospital’s emergency unit, where he succumbed.
In a press release following the murder, the police had said investigations revealed that Vivian and Susan Hernandez, of New Amsterdam, were with friends at the beach and Vivian had reportedly entered a yard and picked watermelon. Later, while Vivian and Hernandez were walking along the beach they were attacked by a man armed with a length of bamboo, who dealt lashes to both students, after which he escaped.
However, according to the father in 2022, he did his own investigation and he has ruled out the idea of his son being beaten by an irate watermelon farmer as was being claimed at the time. “I ruled that out because my son had money in his pocket, they could have taken that… Whoever it was wanted my son to die.”
He said based on information provided to him by the deceased’s cousin, who was also at the location, he believes there were people there with the hire car driver who may have been involved.
Balrup has continuously expressed his disappointment in the police who were not able to arrest anyone although there was an eyewitness.
The man had said following the attack, the young woman had phoned him in the evening and said “uncle I will tell you everything.” However, since he was emotional at the time he advised her to speak with the police “and that was my one mistake because she never said what happened after that all she said if she see them back she can identify them”, he told this newspaper last year after his son’s thirteen-year remembrance service.
The father said while Vivian and Hernandez were walking on the beach, his cousin borrowed the hire car driver’s car to go drive up the beach. The cousin claimed to have met with Vivian and to have spoken with him. “And my son tell him why you leave your girl with (hire car driver) you know who is he and the boy (cousin) went back for the girl.”
As they then drove further along the beach, the car then got stuck in an area and the cousin made contact with the driver.
Further, the father said that he was told that two other men in a gold 192 met with the hire car driver on the beach, where they were drinking.
However, interestingly enough the cousin claimed that when the hire car driver came to him with the eyewitness and others he was just old that “Vivian get lash in his head and lay down there.”
When the cousin attempted to go to see what had happened, he was scolded and cursed by the hire car driver, who insisted that they get his car out of the hole before proceeding.
According to the father, he was told that persons were passing on motorcycles who exhorted the hire car driver to rush the injured young man to the hospital. However, the hire car driver refused blatantly in front of multiple persons, claiming that the blood would soil the interior of his vehicle.
“The people had to tell him to take my son because he didn’t want to. And although the people told him to take my son to the Skeldon Public Hospital, which was closer, he refused and he drive to 51 Police Station and make a report and then drive all the way to New Amsterdam Hospital and bring my son.”
Balrup said, when he was informed and rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital his son was not fully responding but his legs and hands were moving. The last thing his son did was hold on to his hand and grip it tightly – a memory he continues to hold on to.
Shortly after, the father was informed that his young son, who would have turned 17 years on November 17 that year, had succumbed.
Balrup yesterday pleaded again for the matter to be investigated, pointing out that the driver of the vehicle was held for questioning after which he was released. The man then immediately left the country but according to Balrup based on information provided to him by persons in the area the man had recently returned to Guyana. “The police had promised me that if he ever come back they would hold him for questioning but they never did.”
According to the elderly man, about three months ago he visited an outreach held by the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall in Region Six where he again raised the matter. “It had some big police there and he and another one come to me for the information and I give him and they said they would get back to me right away and I told him I’ve been hearing this all the time but he said the AG order them to look into it and they would get back to me and unto now I can’t hear from them”, he said.
The man who continues to keep his son’s memory alive and said that he will continue to visit outreaches and raise the matter, “I will seek justice until my last breath.”
