SIX men, ranging in age from 18 to 29, were jointly charged on Friday for the murder, last Saturday, of Corentyne religious leader, Pandit Rishi Bharrat, outside his Grant, Crabwood Creek residence.

They are: Devendra Khemraj, called ‘Baya’, 29; Vidaianand Khemraj, called ‘Blackboy’, 24; Ramzan Ally, called ‘Jack’,18; Javed Ghanie, called ‘Stempid’, 22; Anil Angarsham, also known as ‘Buckman’, 25; and Gregory Tejpertab, also known as ‘Greg’, 27.

They all appeared at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court on Friday before Magistrate Alex Moore, and, having not been required to plead to the indictable charge, were remanded to prison until October 14, when they are expected to make their next court appearance.

The Khemrajs are represented by Attorney-at-Law Charlyn Artiga, while Tajpertab and Ghanie are represented by Attorney-at-law Chandra Sohan. The remaining two accused, Ali and Angarsham, are both unrepresented.

Both attorneys in the matter told the court that their clients were beaten by the police while in custody, and forced to sign a document purportedly admitting their guilt in the commission of the gruesome murder.

However, Police Prosecutor Orin Joseph interjected, stating that the accused, at the time of their arrest, had all had visible marks of violence about their bodies.

In the circumstances, Magistrate Moore recommended that all four men be sent for medical treatment.
Pandit Bharrat, a Hindu priest and joiner, was reportedly beaten to death by a group of men who took umbrage at his berating them for imbibing, and generally behaving in a disorderly manner in front of his property.

Reports are that after cautioning the men to desist and remove to no avail, Pandit Bharrat resorted to confronting them head-on. They retaliated by attacking him, en masse.

According to police, at around 22:15hrs on Saturday, eight men were in front of Pandit Bharrat’s premises, drinking up a storm and carrying on. When Pandit Bharrat could take it no more, he reportedly went out to the men, brandishing a piece of wood, and asked them to take their ribaldry elsewhere.

Annoyed that he dared try to spoil their fun, the men allegedly armed themselves with pieces of wood, and dealt the pandit several lashes about the body, causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious.

By the time he was picked up by relatives of his and taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital, it was too late, as he was pronounced dead on arrival at the medical institution.

Twelve persons were initially arrested during the course of the investigation into the matter, but four would subsequently confess to their involvement in the crime.