By Subhana Shiwmangal
Police are investigating the death of Kiran Bacchus, a 41-year-old mason which occurred on New Year’s Day at Lot 35 Section ‘A’ Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.
The incident stemmed from an altercation between Kiran and his younger brother, Deepak Bacchus, 27, also a mason, who lives at Lot 35 Section ‘A’ Cotton Tree, his mother’s residence. Deepak is currently in custody at the Blairmont Police Station.
Investigations revealed that Deepak resides at the aforementioned address with his wife, Tena, and his mother, Sookranie Bacchus. On the date in question, at about 01.30 hours, Kiran was drinking alcohol when he found out that Deepak had prevented his (Kiran’s) wife, Seeta Churchand, from entering the yard where their mother lived. This upset Kiran, prompting him to rush over to his mother’s residence and forcefully enter the yard to confront Deepak, leading to a physical altercation that ended with both men falling to the ground.
Upon falling, Kiran struck his head, which caused him to bleed from his nose and appear dazed. He was transported to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he died while undergoing medical care.
His mother, Sookranie, told Stabroek News yesterday that it was not Kiran who caused the problem, but his wife. She explained that on New Year’s Day, she locked the gate and told both Kiran and his wife to go home because they had been drinking alcohol and that his brother would not be coming out from the yard since he would be drinking at home.
She confessed that she did not know what problem Kiran and his wife had, but both of them returned to her home. At this point she told them that she had already locked her gate and told Kiran to go home because his wife always makes problems with Deepak and his wife over her property. “Every time they drink [Kiran and his wife], they always ah come pick fight with the lil one and his wife over the property,” adding, “Is she [Kiran’s wife] does come make the problems. I don’t know what she go home and tell de boy… I thought they gone home, not knowing when I padlock my gate now, and I’m going to come inside and deh home at the house, with that I see Kiran and wife coming, and them start to fight to get inside the yard. And saying the little buddy has to move out from here and the daddy don’t want him here and she [Kiran’s wife] said that only she has right here. I seh ‘go home boy.”’
The woman related that she asked Kiran to stop fighting with his brother and for both he and his wife to return home. Kiran refused to heed his mother and angrily forced the gated open, and went into the kitchen. “Kiran wife and him run in on the boy [Deepak] and Kiran scramble the lil brother from the kitchen and his brother was pulling himself back in the kitchen. They both ah clap lash pun him [Deepak]. The lil brother determine that he doesn’t want any problem but after they started to beat him now and while the big buddy ah haul the lil buddy to bring him out, his foot slipped on the hammock and he hit his head on the ground.”
Kiran’s wife, Seeta, told investigators that in 2015, her husband had suffered a head injury in Trinidad due to an attack by two men where he was chopped, which required surgery.
Deepak Bacchus was arrested, and during a video interview under caution, he stated that he was at home with his mother and wife when he saw his brother Kiran and sister-in-law, Seeta, attempting to push down their front
gate. When they approached him, Kiran shoved him, leading to a struggle that caused Kiran to fall.
Deepak alleged that while Kiran was on the ground, he cuffed him twice, and then noticed blood coming from Kiran’s nose. He attempted to clean the blood, and with the assistance of his mother and a driver, they took him to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he later succumbed.