On the day set aside for love, February 14th, Chitralekha Roopan 32, of Number 72 Village, Corentyne Berbice nearly lost her life at the hands of her reputed husband after being brutally beaten with an iron bar and other equipment.

Her reputed husband,Mahendra Heralall,called ‘Shakal’, 35 who inflicted the injuries to Roopan in the presence of his alleged lover went into hiding. He was later found and arrested on Monday and placed before the courts on Tuesday where he was granted $50,000 bail and ordered that he maintains a distance of 100 away from her at all times until the next court appearance on March 4th by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Springlands Magistrate’s court.

His release on bail has angered many who described it as him “getting off easily,” one relative commented. According to Roopan, she believes her husband, who is a welder/fabricator, is having an affair for over two years now with another woman. She related that the woman, whose husband is overseas, would usually sleep over by their house from time to time. She noted that they are extremely close and would usually be touching each other inappropriately. She said many times the woman and her hubsand would fall asleep on the couch. Roopan explained that whenever she says anything or bring it up she is abused by Heralall. “If I see anything and talk me get lash fuh dat,” she explained.

Roopan recalled that on Valentine’s evening they had a minor argument and Heralall left to go out on the road.

“It was Valentines and he left to go to work in Skeldon so when he was leaving he told the girl (the alleged lover) that if she gets him a Valentine gift he would take her and me out to dinner. He told me not to cook so I did not. As I got late I told him to buy food bring it but he came home from work after 06:30 and did not bring food so I told him he should have told me and I would cook but he was angry and I left to go start cooking, then he got dressed and walk out so told him he better eat because if is me alone I won’t cook since he would usually come home like 3:30 the next morning.”

According to Roopan at around 21:30 hrs on valentine’s night her husband returned home and picked up a piece of heavy duty electrical wire and started to hit her about the body.

“After he left, she (the alleged lover) came over with gifts and was waiting on him to return after she realised he was not coming she called him and they spoke on the phone and she did waiting in the hammock. He then come home and when she see he, she jump over the fence and gone home. When he walk in I see he tumbling the crate so I walk inside and he pick up a heavy duty wire and run in and start beating me so I run upstairs and ask he ‘why are you hitting me? What did I do make you beat me so?’ But he nah answer and he still a lash me with the wire. Me run and fall down by the bathroom door and he pick up an iron bar and lash me in the head and I feel the blood coming down and he lash me again.”

Roopan recalled amidst sobs that the alleged lover apparently heard her screaming and came over to inquire what was going on and she used the opportunity to run away from Heralall but he followed her and continued to hit her.

“Like she hear me mouth and come over and she see he hitting me by the bathroom door with the iron bar and ask him ‘why you a hit she? Wah she do you?’ And as he turned to see is who I run out and gone over by she house but he and she run after me. When he reach, he corner me and pick up a wooden chair and break it up and said ‘You want see how me mad?’ and he start hitting himself in the head with the middle of the chair two times and then he hit me with the other piece a couple a times.”

According to Roopan the abuse continued until approximately 01:00hrs the next day when Heralall left to go sleep. She however did not receive any medical attention until 06:00hrs the next day and during the period she slipped in and out of consciousness..

At the doctor, Roopan received 28 sutures to the head and had several other lacerations about the body from the beating she received. She was treated and sent away and made a report to the police who started to look for Heralall; however he went into hiding and was found seven days later and placed before the courts.

During an interview with this newspaper yesterday, visible lacerations across her body were still fresh. According the Roopan the abuse by Heralall has been ongoing for several years now.. In one incident, he allegedly broke her arm after she objected to him spending time with his ex-wife.

Roopan, who was previously married, started a common law relationship with Heralall five years ago after her husband passed away. They don’t have any children together .Roopan is unclear what is her next move as she explained she lost both her parents at a young age and later grew up with her grandmother. “I have no one I don’t know what I will do”.