Vijay Arjunandan, a 37-year-old excavator operator of Crabwood Creek, on Thursday pleaded not guilty to manslaughter following the death of a boy at the Number 63 Beach, Corentyne.
Arjunandan appeared at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga.
The man is accused of hitting Veeren Mootoosammy of Lot 1 Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder while riding his jet ski at the Number 63 beach.
Arjunandan was placed on $1 million bail and ordered by the court to lodge his passport, while he also has to report to the police station every Friday.
Nine-year-old Mootoosammy had left home to go to the Number 63 beach with relatives. Arjunandan was reportedly riding a jet ski where the child was playing in shallow water near the beach. Mootoosammy was subsequently found unconscious in the water. A post-mortem examination which was conducted revealed that Mootoosammy died of asphyxiation and that he sustained a fractured skull.
