THE High Court trial for the murder of Suresh Nandkishore, called ‘Ravo,’ who was killed in 2015 by two men over a plot of land located in the Mahaica Creek, commenced on Tuesday before Justice Navindra Singh.

Sukhdeo Dharandat, 55, and his son, Eshwardat Dharandat, 26, are on remand for the murder.

On Tuesday, the duo pleaded not guilty to the charge which read that on February 3, 2015, at Handsome Creek, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, they murdered Suresh Nandkishore.
The state was represented by prosecutors Tuanna Hardy, Abigail Gibbs and Teriq Mohammed, while the father and son were represented by attorneys-at-law Pamela DaSantos, Brandon DaSantos and Alanna Lall.

Several witnesses were called on Tuesday when the trial commenced, including the victim’s brother, Parmanand Nandkishore.

Parmanand explained that on the day in question, his brother and father, Bhopaul Nandkishore were repairing a fence on a plot of land. The witness explained that during that time there was a dispute with his family and the Dharandats over the land.

However, as they were working on the fence, Sukhdeo came and asked his father what they were doing.

The witness recalled that his father told Sukhdeo that they were repairing the fence on their side of the land. Parmanand explained that Sukhdeo made no objection and left. Sukhdeo however later returned with his son, Eshwardat, who was armed with a cutlass.

The witness said that the Dharandats subsequently ended up in a heated argument with his father and brother.As a result, his father Suresh told him ‘let us leave and go home,’but the Dharandats pushed Suresh and he fell to the ground.

Parmanand told the court that Sukhdeo and Eshwardat picked up a wooden post that was meant for the fence and dealt several lashes to his brother’s head, blows that cracked open his skull.He recalled that his father went to his brother’s aid, shouting, ‘Y’all don’t kill me son.’ The witness added the Dharandats then turned their attention to his father and him; his father was beaten with a post by Eshwardat, while he was beaten by the same attacker with a cutlass.

In court, Parmanand showed the 12-member mixed jury his wounds sustained from the attack, as he explained that he played dead to survive the onslaught.

As he pretended to be dead, the witness recalled hearing Sukhdeo telling his son ‘we got to kill all them man or we gon go jail.’ Parmanand explained that the Dharandats pushed his father and brother into a muddy trench and left on their tractor.

The witness explained that because of the injuries his father received at the hands of the Dharandats, he suffers from seizures and memory loss.
The trial continues on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.