Chief Justice orders inquest into Enmore lock-ups hanging

Chief Justice Ian Chang yesterday ordered that the magistrate presiding at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court hold an inquest into the death of Ramesh Sawh, who was found hanging in the Enmore Police Station lockups in January.

The Chief Justice made absolute an order nisi, which had been filed on behalf of Sawh’s relatives last month by Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall.

When the case was first heard, the Chief Justice Chang granted the order for the magistrate or coroner in the area where the death occurred to show cause why an inquest should not be held.

Stabroek News understands that on the day the order was granted, it was served on the clerk of the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court but no one appeared on behalf of the magistrate nor was an affidavit filed in answer on behalf of the magistrate.

As such, when the case was called in the High Court today, Justice Chang made the order absolute, compelling the magistrate at Cove and John, which is the court within the magisterial district where the unnatural occurred, to hold an inquest into the circumstances under which Sawh met his death.

Nandlall and Sawh’s parents were present at yesterday’s hearing.

On January 17, Sawh was found hanging by his jersey in a cell at the Enmore lock-ups. He was alone in the cell at the time. One policeman was transferred from that station shortly after, even though the police denied that they were responsible for the death.

Sawh was being held at the out post after a resident made an allegation that he had stolen a car battery. His relatives have since said that it was imaginable that he would kill himself over a simple larceny report. They said he had left his Logwood home, to seek employment at the Enmore Sugar Estate. They had also vowed that the young man had never displayed any suicidal tendency and called for a full investigation into the matter since they suspect that foul play was involved.

Police had said in a press release hours after Sawh’s death 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. When officers checked on Sawh, who was alone in his cell, he was found hanging by his jersey, which had been stripped to make a rope and tied to the metal ventilation grill in the lock-ups.

In a subsequent release, the force denied 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.

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.

Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, Cecil Kennard, had told Stabroek News that after reviewing the case several months ago he had recommended that an inquest into the death be held.