By Rabindra Rooplall

THE body of a 20-year-old man was found in a charred state in his in-laws’ home Saturday night at De Willem Village, area ‘G’ Squatting Area, West Coast Demerara (WCD).Dead is Satesh Jagmohan of De Willem Village, area ‘G’ Squatting Area, WCD.

According to reports, the fire occurred after 22:00hrs and though two fire engines visited the scene, they were unable to contain the blaze. The burnt remains of the body were removed by the Ezekiel Funeral Home.
According to Ramdhani Jagmohan, the father of the deceased, Satesh was the eldest of eight children. He said his son, who is a porter, returned home at 21:00hrs Saturday night and had dinner.
He then visited his uncle’s home which is in the neighbouring yard where he has been staying for the past four weeks since a separation between his uncle and wife.
“My wife brother and he wife left and for that time when they left, he does come for my son to sleep at their home to keep he and his son company. He gone to bush the other day, and was he son and me son sleeping there, and he wife come yesterday [Saturday] from wherever she living on the East Coast and take her son and carry him away,” he explained.
The father, recalling what occurred Saturday night, explained that he was watching television after having dinner when he heard a loud banging on his fence.
“Somebody start lash down the zinc and say, Fire! Fire! Meh know meh got dogs and sometimes people does just lash the zinc, so meh open the door to see is who, and when a come out I see the house in big fire,” he lamented.
Ramdhani said he immediately dashed into the neighbouring yard to save his son and noticed that the entire building was up in flames.
The father related that he ran under the house in the hope of removing a few floor boards so that his son could have gained access to escape, but to no avail.
“Meh try knocking out two flooring, when ah doing that is share kerosene I smelling all over the house, the fire was spreading fast and I couldn’t save my son, at about 02:00hrs [Sunday] they find what was left of him,” Ramdhani said as tears rolled down his face.
He called on the police to investigate the origin of the fire, since it appeared as if kerosene was doused inside the building before the fire was ignited.
According to residents in the area, the fire quickly razed the building as if there was some sort of fuel used to burn it.
One woman said Satesh was a very willing person and was not known to have problems with anyone.
“He didn’t deserve to die like that in fire, he was burnt alive.”
A generator, gas stove and bottle, along with other items were among the debris.