The death of fisherman Surujpaul Dindyal is likely to be subject to a “whole new investigation” following an apparent mix up in DNA testing, according to Crime Chief (ag) Michael Kingston.
Kingston told Stabroek News yesterday that while the police are being blamed for what transpired, they are not the ones responsible.
Rather, he said it’s the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) mortuary and the Dindyal family that should be answerable.
“The thing is that everyone is now turning to the police for answers when the hospital (Georgetown Public Hospital) and the family should be the ones responsible,” Kingston said.
“The Georgetown Public Hospital should be the people to answer,” he added. It is unclear why Dindyal had not been positively identified at the GPHC.
Dindyal called ‘Boy’ or ‘Go Go Man’, 43, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, died on December 9th, 2016, after he was struck down along the public road at Buxton.
In January 2017, it was reported that Dindyal’s body was mistakenly buried along with four others that were unclaimed at the GPHC.
The bodies were subsequently exhumed and samples were taken for DNA testing from the remains suspected to be those of Dindyal.
However, Dindyal wife, Karan Bisal revealed to Stabroek News that the family recently received the results of the DNA samples which were sent to the United States for testing. The woman explained that the results came back negative.
When asked about what will be the next step, Kingston explained to Stabroek News that the police will now have to start their investigation all over again.
In terms of the body and DNA testing, he said they will have to seek legal advice on that.
Bisal had related to Stabroek News that following receipt of the results, she engaged the police for answers and to get to the bottom of the issue.
She had added that she, along with other family members, are still seeking closure and would like to know what happened to her husband. She further noted that they were not given the body to bury but had to await the results of the DNA test before the body could have been handed over.
Bisal went on to say that she made contact with a police investigator who promised to provide her with information on the issue as soon as it becomes available. “We just want closure. We want to know what happened to Surujpaul Dindyal and how he died,” Bisal said as she noted that months ago, a matter which was at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court was dismissed for lack of evidence as the DNA test results were not available.
She explained on Monday, she was invited to meet with the police, who reportedly told her that no conclusion has been made about what will be the next step in the matter.
Bisal, however noted that the police took additional statements from her.
“They going over back everything. All that took place in the accident, the digging up…they tek more statements from me…..They looking back into the matter. Them got to find out why this thing come back like this. Is like a half and half. Is not all negative and yet it’s not all positive. They got to do some investigation,” she explained. The woman is hoping for closure in the matter.
“….I feel like something went wrong with the way they do the DNA testing. I don’t know if they had any mix up or anything, I don’t know. Dah is wah they got to look into,” she said.
The body was exhumed from the Good Hope cemetery in January of 2017 and it was stated at the time that if the DNA results confirmed that the remains were that of the fisherman, the driver who allegedly struck him would be re-arrested and would face additional charges.
The police had said that motorcar PVV 4355 was travelling west along the southern carriageway when the driver claimed that he saw two other cars, which were proceeding in the opposite direction, drive into his lane which forced him to swerve.
As a result, he collided with Dindyal, who was walking on the southern parapet. The driver was made to undergo a breathalyzer test which revealed that he was over the legal alcohol limit.
Bisal had told Stabroek News that she last saw her husband on December 8th, 2016 when he left home in search of a job. He would go to sea to ply his trade and return. She noted that on December 15th, she made a missing persons report at the Vigilance Police Station.
