–says stories about watchman’s death do not add up

A FAMILY of 102 Rampoor Village, Corriverton, East Berbice-Corentyne, are seeking answers

into the death of their loved one who was discovered with a wound to the throat and lying face-down at his workplace last Tuesday.

Vickram James, 62, a watchman with VP Baichan Business, was on duty in Pigeon Island, located some 200 miles up the Corentyne River, when he was discovered by another watchman who went to the work site after several calls to him went unanswered.
The Guyana Chronicle understands that owner of the business, Vishwa Persaud Baichan, popularly called “Francis,” would usually check on his security daily, but when he tried to make contact with James on the fateful day, his calls went unanswered.

A worker who was subsequently sent to check on him made the gruesome discovery.
According to Baichan, the worker upon arriving at the site saw James in a pool of blood with a wound on his neck and informed him that James appeared dead.
The businessman said he immediately contacted the Springlands Police Station and informed them of what he was told by his worker.
It was around 22:00 hrs he said, and given that it was late and the journey would take some time, an arrangement was made for a rank to accompany them early the following day to the site with the intention of retrieving the body.

However, upon arrival, they found James in a semi-conscious state and he was rushed to the Skeldon Hospital late Wednesday afternoon.
He was subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital and later to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed early Thursday morning.
Since the incident, James’s relatives say they have been kept in the dark and have received conflicting stories from the owner of the company on what had transpired.
They also say that doctors were surprised that James managed to survive that long, despite the wound he had received and having lost a lot of blood.

Shirley James, a sister of the deceased, said they initially heard that her brother was attacked and killed by bandits.
She said her family was suspicious at first as they were under the impression that there were no valuables at the site where her brother worked.

UPSET
They were also upset that they were not invited to go in to identify or retrieve the body.
“They boss man never even tell we anything that he going in to get James; he just gone in and come out wid James and we gotta be searching to find which hospital he deh, what happen to he,” the sister said.
She said it became more suspicious when the owner came out with her brother and he was still alive and told her family that James hurt himself after an attack by bees.

“The boss man seh how bee attack James and he went in he hammock wid he knife and he try fuh fan off the bee dem and fall down with the knife in he hand and it cut he neck.”
Shirley is questioning how Baichan got this information, since her brother could not speak and finds it strange that he would try to deflect the bees using a knife.
“Who does use a knife fuh chase bee? He feel people mad; he story changing every time,” Shirley said, as she called on the police to thoroughly investigate her brother’s death.

She told this publication that the family was not even informed of her brother’s passing and learnt of it when her son checked at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
A source close to the investigation revealed that the weapon suspected to have been used to inflict the wound to James’s neck, a hunting knife, was found on a table at the camp.
It is being dusted for prints. One person has been detained and is assisting police with their investigations.

Baichan has described James as honest and hardworking.
A team will be sent to the crime scene to conduct a thorough investigation to determine if James’s death was a result of foul play or an accident.