…allegedly attempted to poison wife, daughter

A taxi driver and father of three ended his life, just after he allegedly fed a poisonous substance to his wife and youngest daughter as the fallout of years of domestic disputes reached a tragic end at their Lot 59 Second Street Marty’s Ville, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, Monday morning.

Dead is 57 year old Balkaran Persaud. The tragedy was known after neighbours were alerted through the screams of ‘help’ emanating from his 35-year-old wife, Kavita Persaud.
When a neighbour rushed over, the man, woman and their child showed signs of suspected poisoning. The woman was in the yard while the three-year-old Saraswattie Persaud, was lying on the bed, and the man was in the house.

Neighbours subsequently contacted the police and the three were rushed to the hospital.
Persaud was pronounced dead while the mother and baby are receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Reports indicated that, at the time of the act, two of Balkaran’s daughters from a previous marriage were staying at a relative, after visiting over the weekend.

His first wife died, seven years ago, after kidney failure and other medical complications. He subsequently moved on with Kavita and had another daughter.

In an interview with this publication, his sister, Brenda Persaud, said no one knew exactly what happened but he had a very troubled relationship with his current wife.

“They wasn’t living together for about six months now, because she left him and go away, and she would come back when she feel like and just jump the gate and come into the yard because she left her daughter here,” she said.

She explained that one of the major problems the couple had was over one of the daughters from the previous marriage who was psychically challenged.
“She does catch fits and she is not well and the step mother would just put a cup and plate outside and lock the door on her when the father gone to work, this was a major problem,” the sister said.

She questioned who really served the poison since her brother was the first to die and insinuated that his wife might have been responsible.

“She does go out and drink and sleep out and do her own things, obviously my brother who does not drink anymore could not understand her actions, he worked hard to care for his family,” the sister noted.

His brother, Ramnaresh Persaud said his brother faced many challenges during his relationship and he would sometimes advise him not to get depressed since he worked most of the day and would hardly ever have time for himself.

“He wife does come all about the place and buse he, when he come to check me out in Good Hope, he does complain about how she treats the daughter who is handicapped,” he said.

Neighbours said the woman had separated from Persaud and lived a short distance away.
However, she would show up at the house in the morning to get the child ready for school and would leave the child at a neighbour’s house.
The father would then take the child to school.