By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

SIX persons were, on Wednesday, remanded to prison, after they were charged with the murder of Prettipaul Hargobin, who was beaten to death, after allegedly opening fire on a group of protesters, at Bath Settlement, WCB.

Those charged were Devan Karran called Rickey, 22; Ricardo Shiwlall called Rico, 27; Jagdat Khaloo called One Eye, 60; Satahul Shivchand called Cheto, 40 and Marlon Dharamdai called Bully. A teenaged boy was charged separately.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that they beat Hargobin to death, on September 9, on the Bath Public Road.
The charges were read to the accused by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s court. The five adult men were remanded to prison, while the teen was remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre.

The matter was adjourned to September 23 when the accused will make their second appearance.
Karran , Khaloo, Dharamdai and Shivchand are all labourers and residents of Bath Settlement, WCB, while Shiwlall is a truck driver of Lot 155 # 10 Village, WCB.
Meanwhile, Harilall Motilall called Fowl Cock, 45 years, a labourer of Block D (1) Bath Settlement West Coast Berbice also appeared before Magistrate Singh, on Wednesday, charged with malicious damage to property.

He was placed on $300,000 bail after it was alleged that he damaged a pick-up truck that belonged to the deceased (Hargobin). His matter was adjourned to October 2, 2020.

During the protest actions on September 9, 2020, Hargobin exited his pickup truck and allegedly opened fire with a shotgun on a group of protesters. The protesters, it is alleged had earlier assaulted the deceased while he was inquiring about the whereabouts of a man on a motorcycle.

Police reports indicated that Hargobin fired one shot in the air and three directed towards the protesters who then charged in his direction. He was allegedly beaten by the 6 men who were charged, and his pickup was allegedly destroyed by Motilall. The injured man was picked up by police and rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital but succumbed to his injuries.