Almost three years after he was savagely beaten and left for dead, a 39-year-old man and his family of Hope West, Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are now facing death threats.
The family is pleading with the relevant authorities for help and for the police to take their reports seriously.
Somdatt Singh was attacked and robbed by three bandits on June 20, 2019. Singh, who was a fisherman at the time, suffered a broken neck and a damaged spinal cord.
Since the attack, Singh has been unable to work and properly support his family. He told the News Room that he is also in constant pain and requires an injection to ease the pain.
Singh was beaten to the head and back by the three men as he was returning home after selling fish; he was robbed of $20,000. The News Room understands that one of the suspects, identified as Mark Anthony, was charged and granted $50,000 bail.
During an interview with the News Room, the father of two recalled the night he was attacked. Singh said he was pushing his bicycle home since one of the tyres had punctured. He saw the three suspects liming on the road and one of them called out to him and asked if he was going to drink two beers.
Singh responded in the negative and continued on his journey home. But moments later, he was attacked and beaten unconscious and left on the roadside. Singh said that he awoke sometime later and managed to crawl home.
Singh was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted for the next six days.
He explained that he thought his injuries were minor but he would spend the next six months unable to move, walk or do anything for himself.
“Good thing I get a son and my wife and my family, they would help me and move me around,” Singh told the News Room.
While he is now able to walk, Singh said the pain is too much for him to return to fishing and so, he now does odd jobs around the community.
DEATH THREATS
According to Singh’s wife, Amiena, over the past two months, her family has been threatened constantly by persons in the area all in an effort to deter her husband from pursuing the matter in court.
“These people are coming and throwing bricks, bottles and cursing us up. They say that they will kill all of us in the house, they throwing kero on my zinc,” the woman stated.
Amiena claimed that the police have not been helpful and do not take their reports seriously.
“I don’t feel safe in this environment, every week here, we live in danger.
“When I go to the Enmore Station to make a report, the police girl only take my husband’s name and address and said she done and we ask if that’s a statement and she said she is going to get back to us,” Amiena explained.
The woman is now pleading with the relevant authorities to intervene and help her family.
“I am calling the minister, the higher authority of the police or the President, please, please save my family, my family is in big danger,” a tearful Amiena told the News Room.
She revealed that her youngest son has not been able to return to school.
“I have no money to buy no school clothes or nothing for him to go to school.”
The woman’s 20-year-old has been taking care of the family.
“I don’t know what will happen to my family,” Amiena said.
Meanwhile, when contacted by the News Room, Regional Commander Senior Superintendent Khalil Pareshram said while he is not aware of the matter, he will have his officers investigate.
