Police in Berbice are investigating the death of a labourer who was fished out of a canal with a suspected gunshot wound to his back.
The dead man has been identified as Sasenarine Baljit, known as ‘Frying Pan,’ 41, of Clifton Settlement, Port Mourant, Corentyne, who is suspected to have been fatally wounded after gunplay in the Tain backlands on Tuesday.
Stabroek News was told that Baljit’s co-worker, Navindra Permaul, 39, of Lot 121 Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, was also injured in the suspected shooting incident.
Permaul reportedly sustained minor injuries and was taken for medical attention at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Police said in a statement that Baljit was found in a decomposing state around 7AM yesterday.
A police source related to Stabroek News that on Wednesday they received a report that a shooting incident had occurred on Tuesday around 9PM, in the Tain backlands 10 miles away from the public road.
The source explained that Baljit and Permaul worked as labourers on Sheldon Leiso’s rice farm in the backlands. The man suspected of firing the weapon works on a cattle farm belonging to Parsram Seuraj of Johns, Port Mourant.
It is unclear what led to the shooting, but the source said it appeared that the men had been on a drinking binge. Police also believe that an unlicensed firearm was used in the shooting.
According to reports, the suspect first fired at Permaul and then turned his attention to Baljit.
Both men ran away from the suspect, but Permaul fell while Baljit ran further and was not seen after. Permaul reportedly told investigators that he was able to contact his employer, who went to his rescue the following morning.
They searched for Baljit but did not find him. The search continued and yesterday morning he was found floating in a trench.
A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted today.
The suspect disappeared immediately after the shooting and police are currently hunting for him.
According to Baljit’s sister, Dannita, on Thursday evening she received an anonymous phone call informing her of her brother’s death but she did not believe since another sister told her that she had heard nothing of the sort.
However, their worst fears were confirmed when they received a second phone call informing them that the decaying body of their brother was being brought out from the backlands.
Baljit spent most of his time at the farm and would only visit them for two to three days whenever he came out, a sister said.
