No progress in Jaigobin acid probe

Pretipaul Jaigobin, the GCB assistant treasurer who suffered burns after an acid attack on Tuesday night, remains in stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and police are making little progress with investigations.A senior police source told this newspaper yesterday that it will be extremely difficult to apprehend the perpetrator in the Jaigobin acid throwing case. Police, up to last evening, were yet to make an arrest.

Pretipaul Jaigobin

“It is going to be extremely difficult to make an arrest in this case since the victim admitted that he didn’t see much of his attacker’s face…identification is definitely going to be an issue here,” the source said.

Jaigobin, 32, of 18 Section C, Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara stopped at a Strathspey restaurant to grab a few drinks with a buddy that night. As they were leaving, Jaigobin had told this newspaper a strange man walked up to him, asked “Why you don’t leave my friends alone?” and proceeded to pitch acid in his face.

It took his companion, who was walking a few paces ahead, a short time to realize what had happened. Jaigobin was rushed to GPH and was admitted a patient to the Burn Care Unit.

When Stabroek News spoke with the cricket official on Wednesday he complained of some difficulty seeing. He was wearing his glasses at the time of the attack, he’d explained, and it is this which saved his eyes from being completely damaged.

Jaigobin’s wife, when contacted yesterday, declined to comment about his condition and whether his sight had improved. “I am praying for my husband to feel good,” was the only thing the woman said.

The man has also disclosed his intention to resign from his post after he is over the incident. Jaigobin had said that he believes the attack resulted from the fact that he has been very vocal about certain irregularities at the board.