Ex-con dies by suicide hours after being charged with murder of Corentyne welder
Hours after Police instituted charges against Suyjit Ramotar, also called “Mono”, for the murder of Joshua Hardatt, he was found dead in the lock-ups of the Whim Police Station.
The 53-year-old ex-convict was apprehended in Region Three after committing the heinous act. On Saturday, the Police stated that the rice farmer, of Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was contacted by the Police at the Whim Police Station and informed that he was charged with the offence of murder.
“The charge was read to him, and he was informed that he will attend the Whim Magistrate Court on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, to answer the said charges,” the Police stated.
However, later on Saturday, he was reportedly found hanging in his cell. This was confirmed by his brother, Dalim Ramotar, who told Guyana Times that he received a telephone call just after 17:00h informing him that his brother was found hanging.
He noted that when they arrived at the station, they were not allowed to see the body. It was reported that the lifeless body of 25-year-old Hardatt, also called “Money”, a welder of Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, Berbice was found in his motor car at Auchlyne.
Region Six Commander, Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus, has said that after receiving certain information on Wednesday evening, he contacted his colleague in Division Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and that led to the arrest of the prime suspect and a female.
During interrogation, Ramotar reportedly confessed to killing the welder whom he had accused of having an affair with his wife while he was incarcerated.
On Tuesday evening, the suspect reportedly confronted Hardatt who denied the allegation and it was then he became furious and dealt Hardatt several blows to his body.
“There was a matter with him and his brother, and he was sentenced to three months and his brother for one month. During that period, the victim would have had a relationship with a female that is closely associated with the suspect, and hence it was reported that he would have sent threats to the victim…,” the Commander explained.
Hardatt reportedly left home about 19:00h on Tuesday and had promised to return by 21:00h, but he did not.
“After 9 o’clock I started to call him on his phone, and it turned off. I see that he was not online, but I still tried calling, and I keep calling until 11 o’clock. At 11 o’clock, a girl called me and she asked for him. I told her that he was not at home, and asked what she wanted. She said that he had to do some work for her. She said she is from Albion. She tell me to let him call her when he come home,” the dead man’s mother, Lalita Hardatt had told the media.
She added that a few days prior, her son had told her that he had been threatened by a man who had recently been released from prison.
“Sunday night he went out and drink, and when he come home, he tell me that [mentioned name] want to knock him with a hammer and kill him,” the woman said as she cried in grief.
Referring to the suspect, she said her son had told her he had threatened him. According to the woman, the man and her son had once worked together.