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Oct 21, 2021 News
– hopes mystery behind missing cattle will be solved
By Malisa Playter-Harry
Kaieteur News – A 13-year-old from Duck Creek, Corentyne River, Berbice, is nursing an injury to his right foot after a labourer working with a businessman in the same location shot him.
Police in a statement said that the teen was shot by the suspect who is employed with, Mool Persaud Maniram called Rakesh, a cattle farmer of 1806 Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice. The suspect resides at Maniram’s Duck Creek property where he takes care of animals. Kaieteur News understands that the victim’s father, Ram Nermal, also rears cattle on a portion of land next to Maniram’s property.
According to police, Nermal’s animals would “normally damage Maniram’s barbed wire fence and enter his property” and on the October 18, 2021 at around 07:00hrs, Nermal, his son and two of his workers went into Maniram’s property to look for his cows when the suspect confronted them with a shotgun. An argument reportedly erupted between Nermal and the suspect, after which Nermal told his 13-year-old son to use his cell phone to video the suspect with the gun. The suspect then fired six rounds from the gun in the direction of Nermal and his son. A pellet, according to reports, struck the right foot of the 13-year -old. The suspect then escaped into the bushes.
The teen was taken to Skeldon Public Hospital where he was treated and sent away.
According to Nermal, who resides with his son (the injured teen), his wife and two labourers at Duck Creek, he has been rearing cattle for a number of years. He disclosed that on Friday last, while tending to his animals, he noticed six heads of cattle missing.
Nermal said he was with his labourer, calling out at the gate of Maniram’s property to inquire about his missing cattle. The man said that someone answered and told them not to enter the yard to search for the cattle. Nevertheless, Nermal said that he attempted to enter the yard from the bottom of the gate but Maniram’s labourer, known to him as ‘Marvin’ (suspect), shot at him.
According to Nermal, although he was not hit, they immediately left the area and went to the Springlands Police Station where he filed a report and returned to his cattle ranch with the police on Saturday.
“When we go and the police ask them where the cow is, they said dem loose the cow and the bai that shoot dem na find him; me na know if Rakesh hide out the wukman (suspect) and this was Friday incident,” Nermal said.
He added that he returned to the Corentyne with the police and ventured back to Duck Creek on Sunday and saw his animals penned on the property of Maniram. But it wasn’t until Monday that he decided to go over as Maniram’s labourers were chasing out their cattle from the yard to check for his cows.
“Me deh walk with me son and me wukman dem to guh search fuh the cow dem and me see the Marvin guy and another guy who had a gun and he put down the gun and reach we pon the cross dam and me ask he bout me cow and he said it na deh with dem cow and all of us walking going and (the suspect) pick up the gun and walk and come about 50 rods away and he seh he go kill we and then he buss a load pon we (shoot) and it knock me son,” Nermal recounted. According to Nermal, the suspect then ran away and he immediately took his son out to the Skeldon Public Hospital and afterwards visited the Springlands Police Station. Although police ranks had turned up to investigate, they were unable to locate the suspect.
Police subsequently arrested another labourer, who works for Maniram and was present during the shooting. Nermal said he wants justice for what happened to his son and also for the six heads of cattle that he has lost, which amounts to $800,000. He mentioned that just a month ago he lost 12 heads of cattle. “Me and dem people did never get in problem but everytime me lose all my cow dem and dem does tell me how tiger kill dem cow, tiger na go kill all dem cow…”, Nermal insisted.
He is calling for a thorough investigation into the matter since his son is unable to walk because of the gunshot injury he sustained.
Nermal currently has 260 heads of cattle and was among the dozens of farmers who suffered major losses during the recent floods.
Up to the time of writing this article, police said checks were still being made for the suspect.
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