Man commits suicide hours before making court appearance

An East Berbice labourer was on Thursday morning discovered hanging hours before he was expected to make his appearance at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court in response to a summons to pay child support for his two children.

Dead is 52-year-old Baburam Hardeo, called ‘Gopaul,’ of Lonsdale Village, East Bank Berbice. His body was discovered hanging from a mango tree with a shirt tied around his neck at his mother’s Lot 23 Brothers Village East Bank Berbice home. The discovery was made by his brother-in-law Omal Dasrat.
According to Dasrat, Hardeo visited his mother on Wednesday, and they spoke briefly before he left to attend a wake in the village.
Dasrat explained that upon his return, the now dead man was sitting in a hammock. Dasrat said he retired to bed, leaving Hardeo in the hammock, but when he woke up the following morning, he saw Hardeo’s lifeless body hanging from a mango tree.
An alarm was raised, and the body was subsequently taken down by the Police.
Hardeo and his reputed wife of seven years had reportedly separated about three weeks ago. Nelani, the man’s 33-year-old daughter, said she spoke with her father on Tuesday via telephone. She said he told her that he had received a summons to attend the Amsterdam Magistrate Court in relation to financial support for his two children.
Hardeo had worked as a labourer at a sawmill near to his home. He had also performed odd jobs around the village in order to make a living.
Guyana Times was however told that the now dead man had been a heavy drinker of alcohol and had suffered from diabetes.