TWENTY-YEAR-OLD Vishwanauth Narine, called “Buddy”, of Plastic City squatting area, West Bank Demerara, was yesterday morning murdered, allegedly by his neighbour, whose name was only given as Michael. The Guyana Chronicle was informed that up to press time, the police were yet to arrest the suspect who recently moved from an East Coast Demerara community to the Plastic City area.
Speaking with this publication yesterday, Narine’s reputed wife, Faith Singh, explained that it was just after dawn that Narine responded to a call from his mother who lives next door. The woman added that it sounded as if  Narine’s mother was crying so he hurried over to the house.
Singh said that seconds later Narine’s sister called him inquiring why he was stressing out his mother. She said Narine’s sister then began walking around the house, making remarks and her brother, the now dead man, decided to respond and an argument ensued.
According to Singh it was not long after that Michael appeared and challenged Narine to a fight.
A neighbour explained that he was in his home when he heard the loud noise but chose to remain in his house.  He said that as the argument between the two escalated, he approached his back door and realized that both Narine and his assailant were standing apart as they continued their heated exchange. He said that he chose not to intervene because of a cutlass which Michael had in his possession.
The man who asked for his name not to be mentioned related that he went back inside and only came out after he heard that the older of the two men had stabbed the younger one. He explained that it occurred right in his yard.
Another woman, who identified herself as Karen, told the Guyana Chronicle that the trouble was over a gas bottle from another resident sometime Monday. She explained that Narine’s sister-in-law brought in the police to investigate the matter. After the police searched Narine’s mother’s home, they began searching his home following statements that the bottle may be in Narine’s house since he also visits the home from which the bottle was missing.
Karen added that on Wednesday the police took Narine and another resident to the station where they were detained for several hours. The woman said that yesterday’s murder was a direct spin-off from the incident earlier in the week, since the blame game between residents over the bottle continued.
She said that yesterday, armed with a cutlass, Michael called Narine out of his home to fight, a call that Narine responded to, without any weapon. She said that after seeing the cutlass, Narine went back into his house looking for a weapon, and after finding nothing, went back into the yard where he picked up a bottle and flung it at Michael, who was charging towards him.
Karen added that again Narine went into his house in search of a weapon but was only able to locate a perfume bottle which he again flung at Michael, who by that time began chasing Narine around the more than seven little shacks in the squatting area.
After catching up with Narine, it is alleged that Michael whipped out an ice pick and stabbed Narine.
After stabbing Narine, his assailant tried to slash his victim with the cutlass, but he was stopped by a resident in the area.
Michael then fled.
The residents are contending that everything happened so fast that it was somewhat impossible for anyone to really intervene. Following the stabbing, two other residents arrived at the scene and rushed Narine to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.