TEG Singh known as Ram, of Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, whose brother, Adjodah Singh called Krishna was burnt to death on the night of June 18, 2006, testified yesterday in the fire death murder trial at the Demerara Assizes.
The witness said 30 minutes before he saw the victim engulfed in flames, the three accused passed by.
Ex-policeman Colin McIntosh, Mohan Persaud and his, niece Kamie Persaud are indicted for the unlawful killing before Justice William Ramlal and a mixed jury.
The witness said he had known the three prisoners before the June 18, 2006 incident – McIntosh as a policeman at Leonora Station; Mohan Persaud living in the same village and seen by him every day and Kamie Persaud who used to lodge at his father’s house for six months.
Singh identified the trio in the dock and said he was in his verandah on the night when, at different intervals, the three accused passed, Mohan Persaud first and, later, McIntosh and Kamie Persaud.
The witness said the deceased was 52 years old and lived in the same compound with him but in different houses.
He said, about 20:30 hrs that night, he and others were sitting together in his verandah when Mohan Persaud walked past on the street.
About 21:30 hrs, while in bed, he heard a voice calling him and on venturing out to the verandah, he saw McIntosh and Kamie Persaud walking and watched them for about five minutes.
Witness said, on each occasion, he was able to identify the passing accused by the verandah lights reflecting on the road.
He said he went back to his bed and, about 22:00 hrs, he heard his brother’s voice.
“I came out of my room, opened the door and I saw my brother, Adjodah, in flames from his neck to his toes.
“My brother was about five feet away from me. I threw water on him. My other brother, Man Singh was also there,” the witness recalled.
Continuing, Singh said at one stage burning clothes fell from his brother to the ground, leaving him naked.
Witness said he then went to Leonora Police Station and reported the occurrence and, upon his return to the scene, he took the burnt man to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he subsequently identified it to Police in the mortuary.
Under cross-examination by Defence Counsel Compton Richardson, witness admitted not seeing any of the three accused in the yard that night when his brother was ablaze.
The witness denied that he might have made a mistake when he said he saw the three accused pass earlier that night.
Asked why he elected to go to the station first rather than taking the burnt man to West Demerara Regional Hospital, the witness said it was the Police instruction.
He could not remember the Police instructing that the injured man be taken to the nearest hospital which was West Demerara Regional.
The case for the Prosecution, in the continuing trial, is being conducted by State Counsel Zamilla Ally and Fabayo Azore.
