TWO men are in custody of Berbice sleuths as the police continue their investigations into the execution of Port Mourant businessman, Rampersaud Shivcharran, a United States citizen who had returned to his homeland about ten years ago.Incidentally, the suspects are siblings whom investigators claim had owed the businessman a large sum of money. However, mother of the deceased, Chetra Shivcharran, opined that her son’s death was ‘a hit’ which was orchestrated by his wife, who has since returned to Guyana after leaving for the United States a few days before the General and Regional Elections.

The widow Devi, who spoke to the media moments after her 06:00 hrs arrival on Monday, has however disputed allegations that she had hired a ‘hit’. She said she used to speak to her husband daily via Skype, and everything was well. She noted that since their relationship commenced in 1996, she had never found favour with her in-laws, who would always berate her.

She explained that she had travelled overseas with their eldest child to have him enroll in the U.S. Army, and the procedure of doing so was not ‘a walk in the park’.

Rampersaud Shivcharran, called Rakesh, was killed one day before his 42nd birthday. He succumbed after two armed men fatally wounded him at the Debbie’s Grocery and Off-License Liquor Shop which he managed at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. The incident occurred just after 19:00 hrs on Sunday, moments after the now deceased man had sold a female customer and another who were drinking a bottle of Banko wine.

The unmasked men entered the premises, and one ordered the customers to exit the building as his accomplice scuffled with his victim before fatally wounding him to the chest.

The entire scenario was witnessed by the victim’s two children Hemalia, aged 9 years, and Joshua, aged 8 years, who earlier had been seated in a hammock when they saw their father being shot, before he fell backwards.

They quickly went into hiding until the men left the premises.
Thereafter, they ran out of the yard and made contact with security guard Heslyn Peters, who contacted the police.

Ranks recovered a gold chain from around the neck of the deceased, besides a quantity of cash, found nearby, and the spent shell of a 12-gauge bullet.

The body of Rampersaud Shivcharran was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. His remains are currently at the Ramoo Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem.

His mother Chetra Shivcharran has lamented the fact that although her son’s home had been fitted with several security cameras, sleuths were unable to retrieve any footage as the area had been experiencing power outages over the weekend.

Investigations are, however, continuing.

By Jeune VanKeric