ECD man in ICU after spending 3 days in Police lock-ups

…family calls for probe

By Rupadai Seenarine

The family of 39-year-old Kalicharran Sawak of Lot Three La Bonne Intention (LBI) on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) is calling for some answers, after he was taken into Police custody last week and later placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) without their knowledge.
Sawak was arrested by Police Thursday last after he reportedly broke a window at his mother’s house and used indecent language towards family members. He was taken to the Beterverwagting Police Station and then transferred to the

Sparendaam Police Station.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday, his sister, Shivani, related that her brother was scheduled to make a court appearance on Tuesday, but when the matter was called, he was not in court.
The case was adjourned for 10 minutes and when it was recalled, the Magistrate was informed that the defendant was in the hospital.
“When I went to the Police, he said my brother critical at the hospital. When they took my brother on Thursday at the Station, he had no marks of violence, he wasn’t a mentally disturbed person. He was perfect when he went in there,” the woman said.
She added that the Police informed them that her brother was in the ICU of a city hospital in critical condition.
“On Thursday, he was misbehaving like breaking window and using indecent language and we went to BV (Beterverwagting) Police Station and made a report and they take him there. They forward him to Sparendaam Police Station,” the sister related.
She explained that when she visited the medical facility on Tuesday, her brother was unresponsive and in critical condition. He was also suffering from internal bleeding.
An explanation given by the Police stated that the man was creating noise, thus resulting in him being placed in a cell alone where he injured himself.
“Now he’s critical at the hospital. No one could give account what happening to my brother. The Police said my brother was making noise in the lock-up and they put him in a room by himself and he hurt himself. By going to the hospital, we get to understand that he is bleeding from his eyes, ears [and] a little from his brain. He cannot walk at all,” the sister added.
The family has since sought legal advice from Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall.
Speaking with this publication on Wednesday, Nandlall said that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has to give an account in relation to the injuries. According to Nandlall, the Police Complaints Authority will be briefed on this issue as he made calls for an independent probe into the situation.
“Depending on how the matter unfolds, depending on what the findings are, we do not rule out the possibility of challenging the actions of the Police in the High Court or their omission to act in the circumstances, to seek compensation for the injuries sustained,” the Attorney informed.
Efforts by this newspaper to get a comment from the GPF on the matter proved futile.