Police Corporal reassigned after locking up badly injured man

Industry wake house murder

The Police Corporal who ordered that the now dead, Hetram Ramchand – who was badly beaten and later succumbed after a wake house brawl – be placed in a cell with visible injuries to his head has been transferred.

C Division (East Coast Demerara) Commander, Colin Brutus told Guyana Times that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) ordered an investigation into the reports after which recommendations were given by the Commissioner to have the on-duty Corporal reassigned out of her division.
Ramchand, who died as a result of brain haemorrhaging due to blunt force trauma to his head, was attempting to rescue a relative who was involved in a brawl at Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Based on reports received, the 39-year-old of Lot 51 Crown Dam Industry, attended a wake in the village where he was part of a gathering looking at a few men gambling. After the game of cards was over, an argument ensued among the players for monies owned to each other.
The argument turned into a scuffle and Ramchand intervened. However, the mob then turned on him and dealt him a sound thrashing for intervening. The men were subsequently put out of the wake house.
Based on reports received, an injured Ramchand was escorted to the Sparendaam Police Station by a nephew to lodge a complaint but while doing so, the sons of two popular businessmen in the community turned up and claimed that they were assaulted by Ramchand.
The two men were sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital to seek medical attention but a badly beaten Ramchand was placed in the lockups.
As such, the father of the now dead man, Pooran Ramchand, called on the Commissioner of Police to look into the matter, as he blamed the negligence of the officers for his son’s death.