–suspect denied entry into the U.S., sent back to Guyana and arrested by local authorities

A WOMAN is now in a critical condition after her husband, Ganeshwar Sheocharran called “Ganesh,” reportedly set her afire on Monday evening and attempted to flee the country on Tuesday.

Diligent work by local and international law enforcement authorities, led to the apprehension of Sheocharran, who was wanted locally for the attempted murder of his wife, Sandrama Raju called “Roma”.

Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, in a statement, said that the suspect boarded a flight to the United States of America at 17:26 hours on Tuesday, September 14 and, as a consequence, the Guyana Police Force (GFP) contacted law enforcement officials in the U.S. and informed them that the suspect was wanted by the local police.

Having been informed of the issue, U.S. authorities quickly denied Sheocharran entry into the country and sent him back on a flight to Guyana which arrived at 06:45 hours on Wednesday.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the man, after disembarking the aircraft, was arrested by local investigators and placed in police custody.
It is alleged that at around 00:30 hours on Monday, the suspect and his wife were involved in an argument at their Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant house, when she took kerosene and poured it on herself.

The suspect, who is reportedly usually abusive to his wife, reportedly took a lighter and attempted to set Raju alight, but the lighter did not spark the first time. Not being satisfied, the suspect reportedly tried again and succeeded.

The fire quickly spread as she screamed in agony. In an attempt to extinguish the blaze, the terrified woman rolled on the ground, but by then most of her body had already sustained burns.

She was subsequently taken to the Port Mourant Hospital and later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she remains in a critical condition. Raju, a mother of one, works as a lab technician at the Port Mourant Hospital.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, a brother of the victim, Kandasammy Raju, expressed gratitude to the authorities for bringing the perpetrator back so that justice could be served. He said he felt if they did not act, Sheocharran would have been a free man.

“We feel we have some justice now because if he gone away, he wouldn’t have to face anything. I want to thank everyone for helping,” he said.
United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann Lynch, in a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy, acknowledged the operation, saying: “It is this kind of collaboration that will make our region safe for all Guyanese. Congratulations to all who were involved, as the rule of law is our collective responsibility.”

HOPING FOR A MIRACLE
But even with the suspect being arrested, the family is hoping for a miracle since Sandrama suffered burns to 98 per cent of her body. Kandasammy added that the family is clinging to hope and praying that his sister recovers despite how grim the situation may seem.

“She get burn from head to toe… she’s in a terrible state, but we are hoping for a miracle. She doesn’t know the extent of what happened to her and if she does, we don’t know how she will deal with it,” he said.

Kandasammy added that his sister and her husband would quarrel frequently and she would come back home to her parents with her belongings, but he (Sheocharran), would plead with her to return home.