East Canje fisherman charged with raping 13-year-old

-granted $250,000 bail

On Tuesday, fisherman Gewan Rohit, 40, of Lot 1189 New Area Canefield, East Canje was placed on $250,000 bail in the Reliance Magistrate’s Court after he answered to a rape charge against a 13-year-old female in 2014.

Rohit, also a carpenter by trade was not required to plead. The charge read to him by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus stated that between the 13th and 30th of October 2014 he engaged in sexual penetration of a female whom he knew or could have reasonably known was 13 years of age.

Subsequent to the reading of the charge under Section 16 (3) (a) of the Sexual Offences Act, Attorney at law Ramesh Rajkumar told the court he is representing the accused and therein made an application for bail.

In his bail request, Rajkumar told the court his client is not a flight risk, has been cooperating with lawmen and also has a permanent place of residence. Further, he asked for bail to be set at a reasonable sum.

Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus granted bail under the conditions that the accused change his residence to Susannah Village, Corentyne and report to the Reliance police station every fortnight commencing from February 13, 2015.

In addition, Rohit was ordered to be 100 feet away at all times from the complainant’s residence or place of worship.

The matter became known after the complainant related her experience to a school friend who informed her parents. A welfare and probation officer was contacted and the police subsequently commenced an investigation.

Rohit is scheduled to return to court on March 11, 2015.