– as West Berbice protest takes dead turn

TWO persons, including a teenager lost their lives as protest action in West Coast Berbice continued amid calls for justice for the Henry cousins.

Prittipaul Hargobin, 34 of Block B1, Bath Settlement Public Road and Naresh Singh, 17, of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) died in separate incidents on Wednesday at the hands of violent protesters.

Singh was discovered in a pool of blood by his 12-year-old brother on the Number Three Dam, WCB, along the way to their farm. He was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital but succumbed while on the way.

The grandmother of Haresh, Basmattie Singh, amid tears, related that her grandson left on his motorcycle to go to the backlands without having breakfast at around 06:00hrs to water their gardens, with the intention of returning early, but was joined later by other relatives who decided to clear the lands.

The teen returned home to take two containers of water for his relatives who were working and was heading back to the backdam when he was attacked, beaten and left in a pool of blood by a group of protesters who went after him.

The teenager never made it to take the water to his uncles as his motorcycle was burnt and he was discovered in a pool of blood in the rice fields by his 12-year-old brother who was asked to go check on him by his grandmother, after they saw smoke, shortly after a group of protesters went in his direction.

“He come back and nah eat nothing and he say wan lil piece more left to clear so them go clear it and come home and he hurry gone with the motor bike to carry the water for he uncle them. Little bit after he gone, I ain’t hear the bike cause meh been ah listen for it and then we see smoke so meh send he brother to check on he…”

The grandmother added: “He (brother) see a motorbike bun up and deh on the dam so he start fuh look for Naresh but he nah find am and went to the farm but them nah see he too and when he a walk back he find am in wan pool blood in the field… them beat am and lef am fuh dead, bare blood.”

The teen was picked up and taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital but died before reaching. Singh received severe head injuries and was bleeding from his mouth and ear when he was found.

The elderly woman, unable to control her emotions, said her grandson was killed innocently because his grandfather and uncle were arrested in connection with the death of the Henry boys.

SALT AND RICE

“Me lil grandson that me raise from wan boy now dead, me grown them with lil salt and rice because them father dead and them mother lef them.  Them police only arrest he grandfather and me son because them see when them boys did going in the backdam. Them nah know nothing, them nah do nothing, them innocent. Then them police come search up the house and nah find nothing but still keep them in lockup, me nah even know when them deh right now.”

Meanwhile, Hargobin, according to police reports, exited from his motor vehicle and fired four rounds from a shot gun, one in the air and three towards a group of protesters some 60 yards away in Bath Settlement, at around 15:45 hrs, on Wednesday afternoon.

The statement noted that, as a result of his actions, the protesters attacked him and he was beaten. Police ranks in the area noticed the commotion and rushed to the scene where they found him motionless on the ground, with several injuries about his body. He was picked up and taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

However, according to the sister, Renata Hargobin, her brother was on the roadway in his pickup and approached her and some other people asking if anyone saw someone on a blue motor cycle. He was told that the person went further up the road. She joined him and they went to an area where a group of protesters were and enquired but were attacked almost instantly.

HIT WITH A STICK

“When we reached the group of protesters and he jumped out asking if they see anyone on a blue motor cycle pass, they said nobody passed and wanted to know who he was; he was struck instantly with a stick on the neck by one of the protesters and then another cuffed him. I jumped out and hugged him to stop them from hurting him more but they continued and he started to cry and I begged him to let us go home. I begged the protesters and he drove off and I went back home.”

The distraught woman continued that as she reached halfway in the street, she heard what appeared to be gunshots and a mob charging past the street. She went back out to find her brother’s vehicle badly damaged and saw the mob beating him and chopping him.

“I begged them to leave him alone and he was badly beaten and they left him. I run home to get the car and fell down several time in the street but I called the police and by time I get back out the police picked him up and carry he away to the hospital.”

Renata said her brother was chopped and badly beaten and died before he could make it to the hospital.

“I was right there and could not do anything for him, if they had just left him we won’t have said anything to anyone but now he is dead, we want justice for him.”

Hargobin was a father of two and was self-employed. Investigations into the two murders are ongoing.