The relatives of 19-year-old Ramesh Sawh who was found hanging by his jersey in the Enmore Police Station lock-ups last January, moved to the High Court last week and obtained an order for the magistrate or coroner in the area where the death occurred to show cause why an inquest should not be held.
Justice Ian Chang granted an Order or Rule Nisi of Mandamus after an application was made on the family’s behalf by attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall.
In the Writ of Mandamus made in the name of Tejram Sawh, the father of the deceased, an application was being made for the order to be issued to the presiding magistrate/coroner at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court, the district where the unnatural death of Sawh called `Kenny’ occurred, calling upon them to show cause why he/she should not be compelled to hold an inquest into the death.
Following the man’s death his relatives repeatedly said that they will not accept the police findings of suicide and issued calls for justice.
Nandlall, who is watching over the family’s interest in the matter, had written to the Police Commissioner (ag) Henry Greene and Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack on the issue since the relatives continued to maintain that he never displayed any suicidal tendencies and there was nothing in the cell to facilitate a hanging.
Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, Cecil Kennard, told Stabroek News in an invited comment last month that after reviewing the case he had recommended that an inquest into the death be held. Kennard in late February had sent the file back to the police and included his recommendation for an inquest to be held. This information would have been passed on to the DPP.
When Stabroek News attempted on several occasions to get a comment from Ali-Hack on the inquest, she was either in a meeting or out and calls were never returned.
An affidavit to support the order stated among other things that on the day of his death, January 17, Sawh had left home to seek employment at the Enmore Sugar Estate.
Police in a press release sent hours after Sawh’s death said that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The release said that Sawh was arrested following a larceny report and was taken to the outpost around 11.40 am, adding that when ranks checked on Sawh, who was alone in his cell, he was found hanging by his jersey, which had been stripped to make a rope, attached to the metal ventilation grill work in the lock-ups.
In a subsequent release the force dispelled the family’s claim that he died from a beating while in custody. A release said that an investigation found no evidence to substantiate the family’s claim and this was supported by the post-mortem examination, conducted by Dr Nehaul Singh. The cause of death was given as asphyxiation due to compression of the neck due to hanging.
