SIX years after the murders of two men and a teenage boy at Black Bush Polder, the two accused men were, on Thursday, sentenced for the gruesome crimes after a 12-member jury returned guilty verdicts against them.

The sentences were handed down immediately by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Berbice High Court.

The two men, Tameshwar Jagmohan, called “Guana”, and Jairam Chetram called “Ryan”, will likely spend the rest of the natural lives as guests of the State.

Jagmohan was handed three death sentences. Meanwhile, Chetram, who pulled the trigger, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder in January. He received three life sentences.

The victims were 37-year-old Pawan Chandradeo known as “Suresh” and “Jug Up”; his son 16-year-old, Jaikarran Chandradeo known as “Kevin”; and Chandradeo’s brother-in-law, 35-year-old Naresh Rooplall known as “Teeka Bai” and “Mice”.

The incident occurred on July 21, 2016 at Mibicuri Creek Savannah, Black Bush Polder, Berbice.

“I innocent over this murder charge, and I already tell the police the truth about who shoot them man and kill them. It is not easy for me to face three murder charges; this is an unfair trial,” Jagmohan told the Court following the jury’s verdict.

Jagmohan’s lawyer, Surihya Sabsook, during a plea in mitigation, told the Court that Jagmohan was “led astray”, and asked for the Court’s mercy in sentencing since he was not the prime offender.

During his address to the court, an unfazed Chetram said: “The act that I carry out, I carry out off meh own.”

State prosecutor, Abigail Gibbs, for her part, told the Court that the crime “was a gruesome and inhumane murder of three innocent people”. She called for the maximum penalty against the offenders.

According to Gibbs, such crimes are too prevalent in society and a strong message has to be sent to like-minded offenders that such offences will not be tolerated.

During the sentencing hearing, a probation report on Chetram was read by a probation officer. He was described as a “quiet” and “loving” person by his relatives.

Indrowattie Rooplall, the wife and mother of the late Pawan and Jaikarran Chandradeo, and sister of Naresh Rooplall, was also interviewed for the report.

The grieving mother in the report said that no one should ever lose their child in such a heinous crime. She said the wounds are still fresh and that she was unable to work for months, choosing to remain at home to cope with the massive loss.

She described seeing her son at the hospital: “it was as if he was pleading for his life but his killers hadn’t any mercy.”

She also recalled her husband as a loving father to his children, and committed to his family’s well-being.

Indrowattie said that her family was familiar with the family of Chetram since her late reputed husband was employed at the rice farm owned by Chetram’s father.

She reported that the father of her children had stopped working at that farm due to a misunderstanding.

“It was very hard losing her common-law partner, her son and brother at once for reasons she cannot comprehend. It is heart-wrenching,” the probation officer’s report read.

Indrowattie also recounted that her reputed husband, brother, and son went to the back lands of Black Bush Polder to catch fish. The woman told the Court that after her brother’s death, she was left to care for his six-year-old daughter.

Indrowattie sometimes suffers from nervous breakdowns due to the trauma of loss and would have to be hospitalised, she told the court.

While chronicling the ripple effect the crime had on her family, Indrowattie said that her surviving son was forced to “drop out” of school to help her support the family. They are both employed as security guards.

While reflecting on the factual circumstances of the case, Justice Kissoon said, “This is a horrific and brutal crime of immeasurable cruelty.”

He also said that the men showed callous disregard for human life and the circumstances of this case are exceptionally serious and demand a rigid punishment.

After considering the havoc, damage and destruction which arose due to the consequences of the crime, the Judge ordered that Jagmohan be taken to a lawful place to suffer death in a manner authorised by law.

Meanwhile, Chetram’s father, Carlton Chetram also known as “Lieman”, and his employee, Rakesh Karamchand also known as “Go to Front” had pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter earlier this month and are expected to be sentenced on February 17.

This newspaper previously reported that on the day in question, the three victims had gone on a fishing trip in the Black Bush Polder back lands in an area called ‘Cookrite Savannah’, some three miles from Mibicuri, where they were allegedly gunned down by the quartet.

The deceased men, each with a single gunshot wound, were found lying in a rice field belonging to Sudama Jagmohan, who made the gruesome discovery.
The body of the teen boy was found next to his father’s. He had a gaping hole to the back of his head and a ‘salt bag’ with fish and a fishing net strung around his neck.

Rooplall’s body had a hole in the neck and the fishing net was strung over his shoulder, while the older Chandradeo had his fishing net in his hand.

The Court had heard that the now-deceased men, while on their fishing trip, had stumbled upon “Lieman” and others who were allegedly stealing diesel fuel in the said field.

It was reported that Chetram, who was armed with his father’s firearm, fired two shots in the air causing the two men and teenage boy to run towards the dam. Chetram then shot the victims to their heads at close proximity.

When arrested, Chetram told police that he killed the men to get rid of the evidence. “Meh na been want leff no evidence so I shoot them,” Chetram is quoted as saying in his caution statement to the police.