The remains suspected to be those of a labourer who went missing on Monday last were discovered in a cemetery at No. 55 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
It is believed that the body of 21-year-old Mahendra Ghanie also known as “Azad” of Lot 198 Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, Berbice was chopped to pieces before being set on fire.
The dismembered, burnt bones were discovered on Friday afternoon after relatives of the missing man went in search of him. It was reported that Ghanie left home on Monday last to visit his employer at No. 55 Village with the intention of collecting a large sum of money owned to him. His employer, a block maker is reportedly in the habit of hiring people without paying them for weeks.
Nevertheless, days passed and the young man did not return home. His relatives searched frantically for him but came up empty handed. A missing person’s report was subsequently lodged at the police station.
However, on Friday, this publication was informed that relatives of the young man went back to the No. 55 Village and upon enquiring about any unusual movements they might have seen; they were told that the employer was seen burning “something” in the burial ground during the week.
Without hesitation, the family members went to the said burial ground and found pieces of bones, suspected to be that of a human, being burnt in a two feet by six feet hole. They immediately contacted the police who promptly arrived at the scene.
The detectives, this publication was informed, are working on the theory that the young man was burnt at one spot and the remains were dragged into the newly dug hole and sent alight for the second time.
Part of the missing man’s mobile phone and jersey were reportedly found at the burn site.
Farina Ghanie, a sister of the dead man told media operatives that relatives related their suspicions about the employer to the police and as such, they were accompanied to the employer’s premises to enquire about her brother’s whereabouts.
She stated that they came into contact with her brother’s employer but he denied knowing the young man, while claiming that Ghanie never worked with him although several pieces of her brother’s clothing including his hammock were allegedly seen in the man’s back yard.
The publication was told that Ghanie usually stayed at his employer’s house and would return home on weekends.
Police, on Thursday, thought that something was amiss and immediately took the employer and another worker into custody. The employer’s son was subsequently arrested.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the block maker and his teenage son along with another worker reportedly confessed, while under interrogation, to killing Mahendra Ghanie and burning his body after he was chopped to pieces.
This was confirmed by B Division Commander, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper.
The men are expected to be charged with the capital offence in the new week. (Bisham Mohamed)
