By Leroy Smith

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police, Administration, 54-year-old Balram Persaud has died. Persaud succumbed yesterday morning at the Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital, where he was receiving treatment for injuries he sustained in a vehicular accident on February 05, 2016 along the West Bank Demerara Public road.
Persaud’s death came as a surprise to many persons in the security sector, as well as those who were responsible for his treatment, since, according to his latest assessment, he seemed to have been on the road to recovery.
However, immediately after his accident, doctors had indicated that his chances for survival were 50/50.
Sources close to the now dead senior police officer had indicated to the Chronicle newspaper that while he had begun speaking late last week, his words were not clear. However, the fact that he had actually begun to speak was a great improvement compared to his state when he was admitted to the hospital.
One medical practitioner who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle indicated that when there were cases where persons had internal bleeding, sometimes some amount of the blood would turn to clot and make its way around the body. Once that happens in the region of the heart, then the person would most likely succumb.

A MYSTERY
Balram Persaud ‘s case now remains a mystery, since there were no statements taken from him or anyone who might have witnessed the accident on the night in question. The police were unable to secure a statement from Persaud, since he could not speak, and when he did attempt to do so, his works were not clear.
Traffic Chief, Superintendent Dion Moore had indicated to this newspaper shortly after the accident that although Persaud was still in the hospital, they went ahead and launched an investigation into his accident.
The Traffic Chief had said that when he visited the scene of the accident and examined the vehicle that Persaud was driving at the time of the crash, it would have appeared that the vehicle suffered a blowout upon impact. Persaud had run into a utility police.
Balram Persaud was due to head into retirement by mid-year. At the time of the accident, he was on annual leave.
During his life as a policeman, he served as divisional commander in two police divisions, and also served in an administrative capacity at Force Headquarters, Eve Leary.

EMBROILED
He was embroiled in a matter several years ago, when his driver reportedly shot a man in the head at the Stabroek Market area after an altercation between the man and Persaud’s wife.
As a result of that incident, he was transferred out of the police division where he was serving, and moved to the force headquarters, while his driver was charged and placed before the courts. That matter against the driver who was at the time a Police Sergeant was dismissed last year by the High Court.
Balram Persaud, despite that incident, has been regarded as one of the better commanders of his time who got the job done and was also able to bring the crime situation in the Police ‘D’ Division down tremendously after he was transferred there from ‘C’ Division.
Persaud did not always enjoy good health and was admitted to hospital on two occasions for hearth- related complications. He underwent a massive hearth surgery several years ago.
His death comes after that of Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene and Assistant Commissioner of Police and ‘A’ Division Commander, Derick Josiah, both of whom died as a result of road accidents.
Greene, for his part, was heading to the city from Parika when he slammed into a delivery truck, while Josiah died after his vehicle hit a utility pole, when the driver swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle. In that case, the assistant commissioner was heading to attend to presidential duties.