FOUR suspects in the gruesome murder of Pandit Rishi Bharrat have,reportedly, confessed to the crime in a major breakthrough by ranks of Police in ‘B’ Division on Monday.

A police source told the Guyana Chronicle that, initially, three persons admitted to their involvement and a 12th person who was arrested, subsequently confessed to the murder.

Bharrat, 60, a Hindu priest and joiner of Lot 10 Grant 1806, Crabwood Creek, was beaten to death by a group of men who were imbibing, hurling expletives and behaving in a disorderly manner in front of his property.

After cautioning the men to desist and remove to no avail, he confronted them and they attacked him in the process.

According to police, around 22:15 hrs on Saturday, eight men were in front of the premises of Bharrat, imbibing and using foul language and he went out to the men, reportedly with a piece of wood and told them to remove from the area.

The men became annoyed, armed themselves with pieces of wood and lashed the pandit several times about the body, which caused him to fall to the ground. He was picked up by his relatives in an unconscious state and rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, the man’s wife Jasmin Bharrat, recalled hearing a loud commotion and having a ‘gut feeling’ that something was wrong.

As she ventured to see what happened, she saw her husband lying on the ground with blood oozing from his head.

She noted also that her 12-year-old son, who was with his father downstairs, witnessed the ordeal and was in a traumatic state.

On Monday, Commander of B Division, Jairam Ramlakhan, and a team including Deputy Commander, Superintendent, Himnauth Sawh; Officer-in-Charge of Crime, Assistant Superintendent, Jermain Bacon; Officer-in-Charge of No. 3 Sub-Division, Assistant Superintendent, Shree Laljit and other ranks, along with Pandit  Nitesh Sahadeo visited the home of the late Bharrat and met with his wife, Jasmine Bharat and family.

Ramlakhan and team expressed their condolences to the family members and assured that all efforts would be made to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to Justice, while Pandit Nitesh Sahadeo shared his spiritual thoughts with the family and prayed for the Almighty to grant them strength to overcome the ordeal.

Ramlakhan also said that the police will be conducting patrols in the area to curb crime and criminality.

Meanwhile, the Maha Sabha, in a statement, condemned the horrific murder of Pandit Bharrat and called for justice to be served in a swift manner.

It also made an appeal to the relevant authorities to urgently put stringent measures in place to tackle illegal public consumption of alcohol and disturbance of public order.

A post-mortem is expected to be performed on Bharrat’s remains on Wednesday.