–admitted to GPHC in serious condition; police hunting suspect

POLICE are hunting the suspect who allegedly bludgeoned 50-year-old Bhagwan Persaud, a farmer of Little Biaboo, Mahaica River, yesterday at the Mahaica River backdam. This attack took place approximately midway of the 600 rods that separate his home from his farm, and ironically, the attacker is allegedly his son’s father-in-law.The suspect also allegedly attempted to drown Persaud; but the victim was rescued, and has lived to tell his harrowing tale, although he is in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). His face is swollen, and there are deep cut marks visible under his eyes and about his face, suggesting that he had been in a terrible struggle. The cuts, he said, had bled profusely.

Bhagwan told this publication that he was en route to his farm at the Mahaica Backdam, early yesterday morning, when his aggressor, who was hiding behind a tree, brutally attacked him with a piece of wood about three feet long, bursting his head in several places.

“Ah was walking going along meh way to de backdam when dis man jump out at me from behind a tree and start lashing me pon me head.
He beat me and give me about ten lash all over meh head and behind meh neck,” Bhagwan said.

He said he was under severe pain, and when he fell to the ground, bleeding, his irate attacker dragged him to a nearby trench and threw him into the water, attempting to drown him. But perhaps through divine providence, just at that moment a tractor was heard approaching; and on spotting the tractor, the aggressor released his victim, who became unconscious, and bolted’ before the men could arrive on the scene.

Aboard the tractor were Bhagwan’s son, Mirzaad, (the aggressor’s son-in-law) and other co-workers who were on their way to the backdam to shy fertiliser. The men hurriedly disembarked from the tractor and rushed to Bhagwan’s rescue. Appalled at his condition, they first took him to a nearby police station and lodged a report, then rushed him to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital.

After he had been stabilised and given initial treatment at that hospital, he was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) by ambulance, admitted to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit, and sent to have X-rays done.

Late yesterday his condition was still being monitored.

Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle that the attack stemmed from an old family feud, and that he was accosted the day before by his son’s father-in-law, who had turned up at his home and threatened that he would waylay him in the backdam and ‘deal with him’.

He said he had lightly esteemed the threat and, early yesterday morning, had set out for work as usual, but the same person who had made the threat had carried it out on him.

He recalled that his son got married to the aggressor’s daughter just over a year ago, but has since been embroiled in marital problems because his in-laws are very domineering and would always make decisions for the couple.

“Dem married but she parents still in control, and everything that happens in their home, she would carry and give them,” he admitted.

As the situation became unbearable for his son, Bhagwan Persaud intervened, but incurred the wrath of Mirzaad’s father-in-law, whom he said had sworn to ‘deal’ with him.

(By Shirley Thomas)