Patentia man charged with killing neighbour, gets $600,000 bail

Dead: Abdool Ghannie
Dead: Abdool Ghannie

Days after he reportedly admitted to killing his neighbour before dumping his body in a nearby trench at Patentia, Sundar Singh was yesterday charged with manslaughter and released on $600,000 bail.

Singh is accused of unlawfully killing Abdool Ghannie.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Charged: Sundar Singh

Bail was granted and the matter was adjourned until December 5th.

The partly decomposed body of Ghannie, also known as ‘Dennis’ and ‘Fulla’, 57, of Lot 56 Patentia Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara was found in a trench in the area on Monday morning with a plastic bag over his head.

Ghannie was said to be an alcoholic who did odd jobs around his area.

Singh was taken into police custody on Tuesday.

Region 3 Commander Senior Superintendent Linden Lord had previously told Stabroek News that Singh was questioned “extensively” and had admitted to committing the crime.

Lord had explained that Singh reportedly told investigators that he and Ghannie had a misunderstanding last Saturday at his home during which he allegedly dealt him several cuffs to his face.

The following night, Lord had said, Singh tied a plastic bag over Ghannie’s head before dumping his body in the drain where it was found.

Stabroek News had previously reported that the police were called to the area around 9.45am Monday after residents discovered Ghannie body in a trench at Patentia Front Street.

At the time, the body was only clad in short blue jeans. There were blisters on the skin and the face was swollen around the eye.

The black plastic bag was also tied around his head.

An autopsy showed that Ghannie died as a result of brain haemorrhage and blunt trauma to the head compounded by broncho-aspiration of the blood.