Farmer, labourer freed of cattle rearer murder

Dec 06, 2022 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – A farmer and a labourer of Number 65 Village Upper Corentyne, Berbice, on Monday walked free of the 2020 murder of cattle rearer, Parmanand Lakram called “Bachan.”

From left to right – Freed: Gobin Balram and Freed: Jerry Pirtam

The murder case was discharged against 62-year-old Gobin Balram, a farmer and Jerry Pirtam, 27, a labourer, after Magistrate Alex Moore at the No. 51 Corentyne Magistrates’ Court, upheld a no-case submission made by their lawyer, Bernard DaSilva.

Dead: Parmanand Lakram called “Bachan”

Balram and Pirtam had made their first court appearance back in February 2020 for the capital offence. They were not required to plead to the charge, which stated that on January 30, 2020, at Number 67 Village, they murdered Lakram.

The men were on remand while a preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder was conducted by Magistrate Moore. After the prosecution closed its case, attorney-at-law DaSilva made a no-case submission in which he contended that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against his clients.

Magistrate Moore on Monday ruled and upheld the defence’s no-case submission and this led to the murder case being discharged against Balram and Pirtam.

Kaieteur News had reported that on the day in question, Lakram and two cattle rearers went to the Number 67 Village backdam to untie two unbranded cows that were grazing.

According to reports, the men were approached by the farmer and the labourer who were armed with guns.  While Lakram was being riddled with bullets, the other two cattle rearers reportedly hid in come bushes. The police had reported that when the men came out of hiding, they saw Lakram’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood.