A Corentyne Hindu priest was in the wee hours of Sunday beaten to death by a group of men in front of his Lot 10 Grant 106 Crabwood Creek, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) home. Dead is 60-year-old Rishi Bharrat.
He was reportedly lashed to the head with a piece of wood and beer bottles. The man’s 11-year-old son was also injured in the attack.
Police initially stated that a group of eight men were imbibing and using foul language in front of the now dead man’s property and as such, Bharrat went out to the men with a piece of wood and told them to remove from the area. This was at about 02:15h.
However, the men became annoyed, armed themselves and begun hitting the religious leader about his body, causing him to collapse on the street.
He was picked up by his relatives in an unconscious state and rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
At the home of the dead Pandit, his wife, Jasmin Bharrat, explained that on Saturday at about 18:30h, a group of young men had gathered in front of their home and were speaking loudly and using foul language. This, she said, was disturbing her family.
She related that the family endured it until about 21:00h when they were ready to retire to bed. Her husband, she added, opened a window and spoke to the group of men.
He reportedly told them that his premises was not a “rum shop” and asked them to go elsewhere.
“He told them that people are living here and we are trying to sleep because we have work to do the next day.”
According to the wife, the men started to curse Bharrat. Upon hearing their verbal abuse, she reportedly contacted the Springlands Police Station to seek their intervention but no cops responded to the report.
Bharrat reportedly went out of the house and onto the street to speak with the group of men. His only son followed him.
This publication understands that as he approached the men, one of them picked up a piece of wood and lashed Bharrat to his head. As he fell to the ground, the others took beer bottles and started to hit the pandit.
His son went to shield his injured father using his hands and received some of the blows intended for his father. According to the now dead man’s wife, she did not see when her husband was attacked.
“All I heard was a big commotion, ‘beat him, kill him’ some of them were saying. When I run down, I see the persons moving away from the bridge going to the other side.”
As she looked closer, she saw her injured husband lying unconscious in a pool of blood. According to the widow, she called for assistance several times and eventually a few neighbours came out of their homes.
Moments later she was able to get the injured man to the hospital where she was given the devastating news.
In addition, she noted that her family has been enduring the noise nuisance on a weekly basis for years.
“It is every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and sometimes Monday night is the same thing. They come regularly here and we always get this issue and nothing is being done…” she added.
Bharrat made a living and had been operating a temple there for more than a decade. He had complained to Guyana Times some time ago about the unholy behaviour in front of his mandir.
Back then he had stated that the Police were reluctant to respond when he called.
Meanwhile, Police have confirmed that a total of 11 persons were arrested and are being questioned in relation to the brutal murder of the pandit.
