THARUN Balgobin, 32, of Canefield, East Canje, Region Six was, on Friday, charged with the murder of 59-year-old Angraj Kumar Indrapal called “Charles” of New Area, Canefield, also of East Canje.

Balgobin, who is a pump operator with the Rose Hall Estate and a pandit, appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged and remanded to prison.

He was represented by attorney Mursalene Bacchus. It is alleged that between August 4 and 5 Balgobin murdered Indrapal, his co-worker. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to Prison until September 7. The matter was transferred to the Reliance Magistrate’s Court.

Indrapal death was initially treated as a suspected drowning after his co-worker reported that he fell overboard into the canal.

However, a post-mortem examination concluded that he died as result of manual strangulation. As a result, Balgobin was arrested and subsequently confessed to committing the act. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the accused revealed that he and Indrapal had a misunderstanding over work, which resulted in scuffle and the pandit reportedly strangled him and then threw his body overboard.

Indrapal, was employed with the sstate for most of his life, and was described as a hardworking individual.