Mason found hanging in La Grange lockups

The family of a West Bank Demerara man is calling on the authorities to provide them with answers surrounding his death at the La Grange Police Station.
According to a police statement, 39-year-old labourer, Mahendra Seenarine, of Good Land, Canal No.1 was found hanging in his cell at the station’s lock-ups about 21:30 hours on Tuesday.

The police report stated that Seenarine was arrested and placed in the lockups at about 18:45 hours on Tuesday after a report was made by his neighbours that he had assaulted his wife who had managed to escape, and was physically abusing his six-year-old stepson who had to be rescued by neighbours.

Enmore-hanging-Lawyer  Kellawan Etwaroo James-dead-lock-ups Ramesh-Shaw-Enmore   Beaten by police

The statement indicated that during one of the routine checks of the lockups on Tuesday night, which is done periodically when persons are in custody, Seenarine was found hanging by his pants and tee shirt which were tied together from the door of the lockups. According to the police, no marks of violence were seen on the body.
However, on the other hand the relatives said they need answers since the man “left home in good condition” and was “not the suicidal type”.
According to Seenarine’s wife, 23 year-old Salima Dilchand her husband was arrested after neighbours made a report that he was assaulting his six-year-old stepson.
Dilchand said the neighbours complained to her husband about their son loosing a goat which was tied in their yard and the incident stemmed from that.
“We neighbour tie dem goat in we yard and me lil son go and loose de goat and throw away de things dem tie de goat wid so me husband call de boy and put two lashes pon he and tell he, he mustn’t trouble people thing,” Dilchand said.
The child’s mother related that moments later police arrived and took her husband away to the La Grange Police.
“When he left he de laughing and mekking joke while going with de police; nothing de wrong with he,” the dead man’s wife lamented.
She said around midnight on Tuesday the police ranks visited her asking her if she was ever hospitalized for any illness or if she has any idea where her husband was.
“I tell them dat they got fuh know because is dem carry he to the lockups and den one a dem tell me dat dem find he hanging from de lockup window by he pants and shirt,” the woman said.
She said after the ranks related the news they left without her, since she indicated that she has three children ages 6 months, 2 years and six years, and had to stay with them.
However, early yesterday morning the ranks once again visited the home and asked her to bring along her son, whom it was alleged was assaulted, to the station.
“We went to de station. Dem place me on de bench and den dem tell me that we going to de mortuary at the West Dem Hospital,” she added.
However, Dilchand said when they arrived at the hospital she was not allowed to see her husband’s body but instead the child was taken to a doctor for a medical.
“Up to now I ain’t see de medical but de doctor give me son paracetamol tablets,” she added.
The woman said she is not satisfied with the explanation she was given about her husband’s death by the police. She, like her neighbours, is of the opinion that the man may have been beaten. She added that at one point she was asked by an officer if her husband left home with any bruises to his body and she replied in the negative.
The woman who is a housewife said she is now left to take care of three children on her own since her husband, a mason, was the sole breadwinner for the home. According to Dilchand, she is anxiously awaiting the result of the post mortem examination. The post mortem is expected to be performed tomorrow.
Neighbours who gathered at the woman’s home yesterday also called on the police for answers, noting that this is the fourth death in recent times which occurred at the La Grange Police Station.

Thursday, February 12, 2009