1 year later, family of missing fisherman wants closure

Almost one year ago, the family of 29-year-old Lalbachan Bhagwandat, also called “Jagan”, of Lot 11 North Section, Canal Polder Number Two, West Bank Demerara (WBD), asked for the public’s assistance to locate him after he allegedly went missing.

Bhagwandat is still nowhere to be found, and his sister, Yaswanti Bhagwandat, is seeking closure.
Initial reports stated that on April 17, 2020, family members were at an aunt’s home when the now missing man started to behave in a delusional manner claiming that someone wanted to kill him.
His family had told Guyana Times that the man then ran out of the house and into the backlands and was never seen again.
The missing man’s sister said relatives ran after him, but they were unable to keep up. She further stated that prior to her brother’s disappearance, he complained of hearing voices, but it had never reached the extent of him running away.
Since Bhagwandat’s disappearance, his family has continued to look for him, but to no avail.
“We received a lot of calls that persons saw him, but it was not him. It was people who looked very similar, we paid taxis and went almost everywhere… but when we got there, it wasn’t him… I guess it is very puzzling too, because a lot of people look like him. One thing that makes him stand out is the tattoo on one set of his fingers that marks “Jagan” – the five fingers have one letter each,” the sister told this publication on Wednesday.
The man’s family claimed that since his disappearance, the Police have paid no interest to the matter. His sister said sometimes they would have to beg the Police to follow up her brother’s disappearance.
“They were never helping from the beginning, they never followed up and they did not pay attention at all. One of my other brothers went to station and brought them in the vehicle himself and then he had to take them to the place he was last seen and all of that,” she said.
Yaswanti related that her family remained optimistic that Lalbachan was alive although a year has elapsed.
“This very puzzling… mostly mother she is stressed about it every single day; she cries almost every day. From a mother’s perspective, it is a very painful process, because she just wants to know where he is. Even if something did go wrong, maybe it can bring us closure,” the woman said.
“We would still like to send tons of appreciation to all the persons that contacted us. And whoever can provide credible information that leads us to find my brother will be rewarded,” she added.
Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of “Jagan” is asked to contact 630-5006, 676-6588, 662-8211 or 696-4959 or the nearest Police Station.