Diamond man found bound, dead in his car trunk

By Iana Seales

Ganga PersaudThe body of a Diamond man, who was apparently strangled and bound with rubber, was discovered in the trunk of his car a short distance away from his East Bank Demerara home early yesterday morning.

Ganga Persaud, 52, of Nineteenth Street, Diamond New Scheme was last seen in the company of friends having a drink on Friday evening. However, according to relatives, he left the group some time before midnight and appeared to have been heading for home. He never made it.

Police in the area, responding to a report of a car left parked at Eighth Street, Diamond, made the discovery. Persaud’s hands and feet were bound with rubber and scotch tape was wrapped around his face. There were no visible wounds on his body.

Up to last night, the police had no leads to go on, but were questioning persons in the area.

Ganga Persaud’s car parked in the compound of the Diamond/Grove police station yesterday. (Jules Gibson photo) Persaud, who was well known in the area, imported wire ropes, which he sold to businesses across the country. He had returned to Guyana five years ago after residing in the US and started a life at Diamond.

Yesterday relatives were in shock. They said that Persaud had no problems with anyone and was as well liked, as he was well known.

“Ganga and everyone live good, no problem. He was the type of person who don’t like quarrel and them thing so this is a real shock,” a female relative of the man recounted yesterday outside the Diamond/Grove police station.
At the station, police took statements from Persaud’s reputed wife and his brother-in-law, who was among the last persons to see him alive. The wife was in a state of shock yesterday and the relative, who identified herself as Normilla Persaud, related that the woman had been distressed early yesterday morning after Persaud did not go home.

Normilla said she received a call from Persaud’s wife around 4:55 am yesterday after he did not go home. She said there was need for concern because Persaud always made it home, even on days when he had a lot to drink. According to her, it strange for him not to be home by a certain hour and after they received the call the family started worrying.

But while she was speaking with Persaud’s wife, she informed her that a police van had just pulled up at her home. Normilla later found out that the police had gone to alert the woman that Persaud’s car had been found but he was still missing. It was while they were searching the car that Persaud was discovered in the trunk.

Yesterday Persaud’s wife and their young son were inconsolable. The child kept saying, “They kill ma father in he car”. The entire family was taking the news hard with many saying that he was a good person.

The family related that 25 years ago a brother, Seeram Persaud, was also murdered. They explained that Seeram had been mistaken for someone who had been in a fight with another man and his attacker went up to him and stabbed him several times.

“Seeram’s death was painful, now Ganga. We are finding it hard to come to grips with this, very hard and our mother is not doing well at all,” a brother said.
Peraud leaves to mourn three children, two of whom are overseas, his wife, his mother and ten siblings.