Grandpa chopped to deathBy CECILY ASSON Tuesday, March 9 2010
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CUT ON FOOT: Radica Balo yesterday shows the cut on her nephew Dillon Ramjit's right leg which he sustained when a bloodstained cutlass was thrown at ...
AN AILING Penal grandfather was chopped to death while his wife, daughter and four-year-old grandson were also chopped by a male relative who police said ran amok with a cutlass outside the family home on Sunday night.
Doodnath Ramsewak, 54, who was a building contractor of Seemungal Branch Trace, Penal Rock Road, Penal was chopped several times in the head and was pronounced dead-on-arrival at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Police said Ramsewak who was recovering from a stroke was killed when he intervened and tried to get his male relative to stop ill-treating his (the suspect) three-year-old daughter. Ramsewak’s wife Basdaye Seeta Ramsewak, 47, was chopped on the head and neck while the couple’s daughter Prabhawatie Sasha Ramjit, 23, was chopped with one of the blows almost severing her left hand.
Both women underwent emergency surgery at the SFGH and were said to be in satisfactory condition. Prabhawatie’s four-year-old son Dillon who with his sister Melanie, three, witnessed the bloody rampage, was cut on the left foot when the killer threw the bloodstained cutlass at him.
The 30-year-old relative was held a short while later on the beach in Morne Diablo and remains in police custody. The bloodstained cutlass has also been seized.
According to a police report, at about 8 pm on Sunday, an argument ensued between family members over the treatment of Melanine. It is reported that Ramsewak on hearing the argument, spoke to the man (the suspect) over his behaviour.
In a rage, the man left the house and returned minutes later and with the cutlass, started to chop his relatives. After the couple and their daughter collapsed, bleeding profusely, the suspect flung the cutlass at little Dillon before running off.
Scores of relatives and family friends gathered yesterday under a shed in the yard of the Ramsewak family home. Through her tears, Nadia Ramsewak told Newsday that her father-in- law lost his life “for nothing.” She said: “He did not quarrel, he did not interfere with nobody. How could (name called) to such a thing? It’s just not fair.”
Recalling the rampage, Nadia said: “We heard Melanie crying and when her mother (Prabhawatie) checked, she realised the man was roughing up the child. The child didn’t like it and despite our pleas, he refused to stop.”
Nadia said her mother-in-law Basdaye came out and also tried to get the man to leave Melanie alone. “Even Doodnath, as frail as he was, came and pleaded with the man to stop. The man got angry and left the house. He came back and just started to chop people. There was blood everywhere,” Nadia said.
Grieving relatives yesterday slammed the Penal police saying the officers never showed up when the family called for help. “They never responded when we called. In fact, we had to call the Siparia Police Station and officers from that station,” Nadia said.
Homicide detectives are continuing investigation.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, Brasso police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a body at a house in Tabaquite on Sunday. Ramoutar Singh, 64, a caretaker of a cocoa estate was found dead in his bed around midday on Sunday. Police said Singh’s body bore marks of violence and investigators believe he may have been murdered.
Singh police said lived alone on the estate. His daughter is said to be living in the United States.
An autopsy was expected to be performed yesterday. Cpl Ralph Satnarine is conducting inquiries.
