— priest says removal of cutlass from alter a grave violation of supreme order

JAINARINE Balgobin, 39, called “Payo”, who brutally hacked his neighbour to death, has detailed to police that he was allegedly ordered to kill the woman by “Master”, reportedly a deity in the Madras customs.
According to neighbours, Payo allegedly broke the fence of the mandir, located next to his home, and took from a murti named “Master” the cutlass that had been used for over 50 years by the family of the mandir, before proceeding to make good on threats made earlier to his neighbour Bhulmattie Delall, 53, called ‘Mommy Gold’.

According to the priest of the Madras Mandir, Ramlall (only name), the murder weapon has been with his family for over 50 years, and is used to sacrifice animals for the yearly rituals held for the well-being of their family.

Ramlall cautioned that the weapon is sacred to the deity from which it was taken, and was never sharpened nor removed from the mandir since it was first used over 50 years ago.

The removal and use of the cutlass by Payo, the priest said, can have some serious repercussions for his family.

“The cutlass is used to sacrifice goat and fowl for our yearly wuk, and (it) belongs to Master. It cannot leave the mandir. How Payo move it from there can cause a lot of problems, including death to my family; because he disrupted the supreme order of things in our beliefs. Now we have to worry for our family. If we nah get affected, his (Balgobin) family or himself guh get problems,” the priest said.

He condemned statements made by Balgobin — to the effect that he was sent by “Master” — as disrespectful and a violation of the sanctity of the mandir.

“What Payo is saying is nonsense! Master cannot tell him to sacrifice anybody. Whenever we do wuk, Payo always a make mockery of us and curse and behave bad, but we never pay him any attention because we know how he a mad man,” the priest said.

Meanwhile, one of Balgobin’s neighbours has said that when Payo started to behave disorderly about a month ago, he was taken to a medical doctor, who recommended that he receive psychological help; but his relatives did not take the advice.

“When Payo been a trip out mo bad last month time, them ker am a wan doctor and who tell dem fuh ker am a mental, but dem nah do nothing. Now he kill somebody,” the neighbour said.

On Wednesday at about 09:30 hrs, Payo reportedly went berserk and verbally threatened several neighbours through 5th Street, Belvedere, Corentyne, Berbice. Soon after, he launched an attack on Delall, severing her head in the process.

According to a police source, Delall was in her yard when Payo rushed in and chopped her head off in two blows.
When questioned, the suspect reportedly told investigators: “Masta send meh to kill she”.

He reportedly took the cutlass back to the Murti (master) from which he took it, and then he went home.

A source close to the investigation said that when Payo was arrested, he seemed to be delusional and in a different state of mind.

“The man eyes were evil red, he was in an abnormal state,” the police source told Guyana Chronicle. The murder weapon was reportedly “old and dull” and Payo therefore had to use tremendous force, the source said.

Villagers say Payo was an alcoholic, while relatives related that he was a “troubled” man.

Divisional Commander Kevin Adonis said the file on the murder accused has been sent to the DPP for advice, and is yet to return.

Meantime, Anita Nandram, daughter of the dead woman, said the statements uttered by Balgobin are “Lies and nonsense”. She is contending that Payo knew what he did, and should face the full force of the law.

“My family want justice, that’s what we are interested in. Innocently, my mother life was taken away,” Nandram said.