The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating the suspected hanging yesterday of a 53-year-old prisoner, Suyjit Ramotar, also known as ‘Mono’, of Lot 72 Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne, Berbice, whilst in custody at the Whim Police Station.
Ramotar, a rice farmer, was arrested and taken into police custody at the Whim Police Station on May 22, pending an investigation into the alleged murder of Joshua Hardatt, also known as ‘Money’, a welder of Lot 371 Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, Berbice, which occurred sometime between 18.00 hours on Tuesday, May 21, and 08.00 hours on Wednesday, May 22, at Auchlyne cultivating dam.
Reports are that Ramotar was informed by the police while in custody yesterday at approximately 09.45 hours that he had been charged with the offence of murder committed on Hardatt and that he was required to appear at the Whim Magistrate Court on Tuesday, May 28. The charge was also read to him.
However, at approximately 4.55 yesterday afternoon, ranks on duty went to the lockups to check on the prisoners and discovered Ramotar hanging by his neck with a piece of his tee-shirt that he ripped and tied, on the grill of the lockups.
When investigators examined the body, they discovered compression marks from the jersey around the neck. He was taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His body is currently at the hospital morgue awaiting a post mortem examination, while the OPR investigation continues.
Stabroek News had earlier reported that Ramotar had confessed to murdering the man. Hardatt was found lying motionless face-down in a crouching position in the back seat of his car along the Auchlyne cultivating dam. He bore marks of violence to the face, forehead, and the back of the head.
Hardatt’s mother, Lalita Hardatt on May 23, told Stabroek News that on Tuesday, May 21 after returning home from work, her son took a shower and ate after which he left home around 5.30 pm in his car. He informed her that he would be returning home at about 9 pm. However, after he did not return home at the intended time she became worried and informed other relatives who began searching for the man.
“Me a call am steady pon the phone and the phone turn off so me na see he get internet nothing, me a call, a call and then 11 [pm], one gal call me and ask where he deh and me seh he na deh home so she say how he got to do some drill work for she, that she from Albion and that when he come me must tell am must call am.”
The emotional woman said she continued to call her son’s phone every 30 minutes throughout the evening but received no answer. “When me do hear, he boss man pon America call and say somebody kill am and them find the car. How me start hollah, me pickney na trouble nobody, he a go and come he way straight.”
Lethem
Meanwhile, a man who was arrested on a complaint of domestic violence on May 5th this year was found hanging on May 6th in his cell at the Lethem Police Station.
The police in a statement said that on May 5, 2024, they received a call from a concerned resident reporting that Carl Benedict, 37, was assaulting his wife.
“Ranks responded to the report, and Carl was arrested and escorted to the Lethem Police Station. At the station, his clothes were removed, and he was placed in a cell by himself with only shorts on, while his wife’s statement was being taken. She was also issued with a medical certificate and escorted to seek medical attention for her injuries.
“At about 07:45 hrs. on Monday, May 6, 2024, the ranks entered the lockups and discovered Carl hanging by his neck with the ‘waist band’ of his shorts, which he had removed and tied to the metal vent on the lockups’ southern wall”, the police said.
The scene was processed and photographed by crime scene technicians.
