Teen pleads guilty to Number 63 Village double murder

A convict, who was a juvenile when he murdered Canada-based Guyanese Vivekanand Narpatty and his employee Harry Prashad, was further remanded to prison pending his sentencing hearing which is scheduled for May 24 before Berbice High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall.
In accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act, notwithstanding that the felon is now an adult, he is afforded certain protections because he committed the crime while a juvenile. As such, his name, address, other particulars, and photographs cannot be published.
Last Wednesday, now 20, he was brought before the Judge, having been indicted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the capital offence of murder in relation to the death of the two men.
He, however, opted to plead guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, thereby admitting that he unlawfully killed the men between December 19 and 27, 2019.
It was reported that he committed the heinous crime at the age of 16. The Judge has deferred his sentencing hearing until May 24, to facilitate the preparation of a probation and other social reports. State Counsel Muntaz Ali is appearing for the prosecution.
Police had stated that Narpatty, 71, owned and resided at the Sun Splash Holiday Beach Resort, which is located at Lot 110 Number 63 Village, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
On Friday, December 27, 2019, at about 11:20h, the bodies of the two men were discovered on the second flat, in the balcony area of the hotel. This newspaper was told that relatives visited the resort after several telephone calls to the overseas-based Guyanese went unanswered.
According to a relative, upon arrival, persons realised a stench was coming from the building and this prompted them to call the Police. Narpatty had arrived in Guyana on December 16, 2019.
Narpatty’s body was found with two toes from his left foot severed and Prashad, with both hands tied behind his back onto a post on the balcony and the left foot severed from the ankle.
Investigators concluded that the men were tortured before being killed. In May 2019, Narpatty had reported that he had been robbed on several occasions, including once at knifepoint when he came to Guyana. Previously, he had reported that he was robbed more than ten times while visiting Guyana over the past four years.
Over 18 years ago, he opened the Sun Splash Hotel and Resort but the business never did well. He subsequently closed operations and went to Canada but returned to Guyana frequently.
While here, he usually opened the place for business.