Five days after allegedly setting his wife on fire, 30-year-old Ganeshwar Sheocharran has been remanded to prison on an attempted murder charge.
The accused, of Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), appeared before Georgetown Magistrate Clive Nurse and was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which stated that he attempted to murder his wife Sandra “Roma” Raju on September 13.
The matter has been adjourned to October 06, 2021.
Reports are that Sheocharran and Raju had an argument last Sunday evening, and it continued into the wee hours of Monday. This publication was told that the couple and their four-year-old daughter were alone at home when the incident occurred.
Sheocharran reportedly used a lighter to set his wife on fire, but she managed to put out the flames by rolling on the floor. The woman, who suffered second-degree burns to 98 per cent of her body, is said to be in critical condition in hospital.
This publication was further told by relatives of the couple that Raju, a medical laboratory technician attached to the Port Mourant Hospital, was living in an abusive relationship, but was reluctant to report incidents of violence to the Police.
Reports are that after committing the act, Sheocharran made arrangements to flee the country, but family members of Raju were alerted, and they contacted the Police. By that time, however, he was already on his way to the US, having boarded an American Airlines flight on Tuesday.
The United States Embassy in Georgetown has said that through cooperation among the regional security offices of both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department, US Custom and Border Protection, the US Marshal Service and Caribbean Airlines, Sheocharran was denied entry upon arrival in New York, and was sent back to Guyana.
US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch has praised the operation, saying, “It is this kind of collaboration that will make our region safe for all Guyanese. Congratulations to all who were involved, as the rule of law is our collective responsibility.”
