Father, son remanded for murder

Aug 04, 2011 News

Sankar Khrishna, 47, called ‘John’, a cattle and rice farmer of Alness and of 85 Letter Kenny, Corentyne, and his son Rommel Krishna, 21, a farmer of 69 Alness Corentyne Berbice were on Tuesday remanded to prison by Magistrate Khrisendat Persaud.
They were in the Tarlogie Magistrate’s Court (Whim) on a joint charge of murdering Shawn Fraser, 38, and attempted murder of his brother, Odwin Bindah on Wednesday July 27, at Hogstye Back dam, Corentyne Berbice.
The men were not required to plead and will have to return to court on August 22.
Fraser and Bindah, cattle and rice farmers, were allegedly attacked by three men all armed with long guns around 17:00 hours on Wednesday just as the men were preparing their rice field for cultivation.
Fraser died on the spot after he was shot at close range by the three men while Odwin was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he remains warded in a critical condition.
Fraser’s bullet-riddled body was recovered from the plot of rice land in the Hogstye backdam while Bindah survived the attack to relate the grizzly details of the assault.
It is understood that the land was an abandoned plot which the attackers used to keep their animals.
It was further learnt that the land was subsequently loaned to the brothers to cultivate and this is what led to the dispute.
The other suspected gunman Jetu Selall, 21, called Bobo, a labourer of Alness was found dead at 15:55 hrs on Monday at Alness back dam with bullet wounds to the left side. His body was discovered under a Tamarind tree about half mile in the back dam at Alness village. A shotgun was found next to him, his cell phone was found between his foot, a cutlass and bag all suspected to belong to Selall were also found next to him.
A bit with a rope used by horses was found hanging next to the body. However no horse was found.
Relatives stated that the dead man did not live with them but, mostly resides with one John (one of the accused).  He would also stay at various places and do odd jobs, including shy paddy and throw manure. They stated that he does not even have an ID card.
A post mortem examination performed on the body on Tuesday at the New Amsterdam hospital by Dr Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as gunshot wound. It is understood that the bullet damaged his heart.