On New Year’s morning, a tragic incident unfolded in Corentyne, Berbice, resulting in the untimely death of 29-year-old Yognand Chaitram, a cane harvester residing at Lot 19, Alness Village.
Moonie Ramnarine, a 65-year-old businessman from Lot CZ 14, Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder, has been implicated in the fatal shooting of Chaitram.In light of the severity of the situation, Ramnarine, who was arrested, has recently been granted a station bail amounting to $1 million, a decision that has been officially confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.
Blanhum told the Guyana Daily that as a condition of his bail, Ramnarine is required to maintain regular communication with the police, as his period of detention has reached its conclusion. Furthermore, the investigators involved in the case are currently awaiting legal advice to ascertain the appropriate course of action moving forward.
In an interview with reporters, Yognand’s brother, Devendra Chaitram, stated that around 10:00h on January 01, 2025, after a day of work in the rice fields, he and his brother visited a nearby shop owned by Ramnarine, a licensed firearm holder. Devendra disclosed that when they visited the shop to change money, Ramnarine instructed them to leave.
He noted that his brother paused to converse with acquaintances, while Devendra left to find public transport. “Ramnarine came out of the shop and began shooting. I told him to stop, but he ignored me and continued firing. He could have shot me too, but I walked away to look for a ride for my friend,” Devendra stated.
Yognand was declared dead shortly after arriving at Miciburi Public Hospital. A postmortem examination on Thursday revealed that Yognand died from shock and haemorrhage due to a gunshot wound.
The was quickly alerted, resulting in Ramnarine’s immediate apprehension. According to police, two .32 spent shells were recovered — one inside the shop and one outside (near the gate). Devendra disclosed that he is still baffled as to why Ramnarine shot his brother.
He stated that it was not the first time they visited the business place. Yognand leaves to mourn his wife and their three children, along with other relatives and friends.
