Son allegedly beats mother, then sets house on fire

By La’Wanda McAllister

A shocking and heart-wrenching story unfolded in Herstelling on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) on Monday evening when a son allegedly assaulted his own mother and then set their family home on fire.
The raging inferno left the 64-year-old woman, Maharania Mohan; her brother, Ramesh Pritipaul, and three Brazilian tenants with nothing but ashes and ruins.
The Guyana Fire Service in a release stated that on the day in question, it received a report at 19:01h that a house at Lot 399, Third Street Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was on fire.

As such, water tenders from the West Ruimveldt and Diamond Fire Stations were immediately dispatched to the location.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed the two-storey wooden and concrete building engulfed in flames but despite their efforts, the building and its contents were destroyed.
However, eyewitnesses reported that the scene was nothing short of a nightmare, with flames shooting high into the night sky and thick smoke billowing out of the windows.
The incident has left the community reeling, struggling to come to terms with the senseless violence that has shattered the family’s life.
Mohan’s 43-year-old son, who has a history of abusive behaviour towards her, reportedly moved back in with her after he was having issues with his girlfriend.
The woman, who seemed visibly shaken when speaking to Guyana Times, related that the incident sparked after she refused to call her son’s girlfriend upon his request. After she refused, he allegedly flew into a rage and started to beat her.

“He pelt me with a nut butter bottle and he throw me down on the ground and beat me. He and he girlfriend get problems and they in court. He ask me to call she and ask she to come to the house because he said the lawyer clerk told him something about the case. I tell he I can’t do that because she use to live here with me and one time she drag me on the road and brace me up at the fence,” the woman related.
In tears, Mohan said after the beating, she went to the Police, but they were unable to locate her son. Fearing for her life, she took precautions and hid all sharp objects in the house.
However, her son was not deterred and allegedly proceeded to beat her again – this time threatening to kill her.
“I can’t even put my money down nowhere because he gone with it… last night I was putting on my nighty (pyjamas) and the Lord told me not to do that. Don’t stay here. I take off my clothes and put on another set… I start to get nervous and when I was coming out, he pelt me and he start looking for weapons in the kitchen but I de already hide all of them.”
“I pick up my bag with all my documents, and I put some clothes in my bag and was heading to go by my next son because is only two sons I have. He scramble meh and tell me that I hiding money from he. He push he hand in my bra and tek out meh money and when he start to beat me, I scream for murder and nobody came to my rescue,” the woman recalled.
Mohan eventually managed to push her son away and flee to safety at a neighbour’s house.
In retaliation, her son, in a loud tone, stated that “if I can’t get the house, no one can”. Within minutes, the house was in flames.
“When I escape I heard like he lighting something, like the gas bottle, and then shortly after the whole house was on fire,” the woman cried.
The suspect was later seen sprinting from the scene but was later arrested by the Police some distance away. The Fire Service has since confirmed that the fire was maliciously set.
An investigation is ongoing.