A 63-YEAR-OLD farmer was on Monday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, after being charged as an accessory in the Black Bush Polder triple murder.It is alleged that Catchew Chaitram, called ‘Cashew’, between July 21-22 at Kookrite Savannah, Mibicuri, received, relieved, comforted and assisted Jairam ‘Ryan’ Chaitram; Tameshwar ‘Guana’ Jagmohan; Carlton ‘Lie Man’ or ‘Lima’ Chaitram; and Rakesh ‘Rocky’ Karamchand, knowing full well that the men had participated in a murder.

The four men had reportedly murdered Naresh Rooplall, his brother-in-law Pawan Chandradai, aka Suresh; and Chandradai’s son, Jaikarran Chandradai, aka Kevin.
The accused, respectively father and grandfather of the two murder accused — Carlton and Jairam Chaitram — was not required to plead to the charge.
The farmer’s lawyer, Mark Conway, asked for his client to be released on reasonable bail, because Catchew had been arrested since last Tuesday, after turning himself over to the police.

Conway further pointed out that the police had kept his client beyond the 72-hour custody period.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Neville Jeffers strongly opposed the man being granted his pre-trial liberty on ground of the seriousness of the charge. Magistrate McLennan ruled in the prosecution’s favour and transferred the matter to the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court for October 18.

It is alleged that the accused men were in a rice field belonging to Sudama Jagmohan, called “King”, and were stealing diesel fuel when the trio came to the very field to catch hassar. One of the accused fired two shots in the air, and the trio ran towards the dam, but fell. It is alleged that “Lie Man” told the party to “get rid of the evidence (witnesses).”

Police say the shooter, his 17-year-old son, moved over to the men and shot them each once at point blank range, killing them on the spot. It is believed that the killer gun belonged to his father.

When the bodies were discovered on July 22 by “King” and his workers, the men still had their fishing gear on them. Rooplall had a cast net hung over his shoulder; his nephew had a bag with fish hung around his neck; while Chandradeo had his cast net in his hand. Fish, body parts and blood

littered the scene.