The village of Adventure on the Essequibo Coast was in a state of shock on Wednesday morning when news circulated that a man had reportedly killed his two young children before hanging himself on a tree.
Chunilall Persaud
The body of 25- year-old Chunilall Persaud was discovered at around 05: 30h by his father, Rampat Persaud, about half a mile from his home; whilst the bodies of his two-year- old daughter Viya and four year- old son Shiva were discovered in a trench 190 metres from where their deceased father had been found. Reports are that the young father drowned the children in the trench late Tuesday night before killing himself.
Rampat Persaud told Guyana Times International that he had gone to the backdam to make routine checks on his cattle when he made the discovery. He said he noticed a rope was missing from one of his animals’ necks, and while checking for the rope, he was shocked to see his son hanging from a huge mango tree.
Persaud said he raised an alarm while summoning the children’s maternal grandmother, Kamal Anague, to inform her about the find; then he discovered that his grandchildren were missing. Persaud, who broke down in tears, said: “The grandmother told me the children were not with she; and then, minutes after, a man who was also going to look after his cattle call me, saying my grand children was floating in the trench.” The bodies of the children were pulled out from the drainage trench by public-spirited citizen, while Chunilall’s body was cut down from the tree by his brothers.
The bodies were transported to the Suddie Funeral Home.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Viya Persaud
Meanwhile, the reputed wife of Chunilall, Shavaine Anague, said the man had left home at around 20: 00h on Tuesday, saying he was going to get some sweets for the children. According to her, he returned at around 20: 30h; and later, the couple was lying on the bed with the children fast asleep when a heated argument ensued between the two. She said the man choked her, leaving her in pain on the bed.
Anague said the man subsequently woke up the children and left the house, saying he was taking them for a walk to their grandmother’s.
“He never come back during the night, and I thought that the children were all right, because he would normally take them at the grandparents for a walk,” Anague said. She is unsure if her husband had poisoned the children before he put them into the trench. She said she noticed a substance oozing from her dead daughter’s mouth.
When Guyana Times International visited the Adventure Backdam where the incident had happened, a huge crowd had converged on the scene. Many were in tears, and others expressed horror at the tragedy.
Shiva Persaud
Villagers who spoke to his publication said they were horrified by the tragedy.
“I never see anything like this before… this is really sad,” Savitri Singh, a resident, commented.
Mohanie Singh, another resident, described Chunilall as a very quiet and peaceful individual.
She said he had worked with her on numerous occasions and had always displayed a very humble personality.
She added that her family and Chunilall had dinner on several occasions.
According to Mohanie Singh, the incident came to her as a shock. “He doesn’t smoke, drink or behave bad; he is a quiet individual.
I can’t get a grip of the situation,” Mohanie Singh, who is a social worker in the village, said. The woman said Chunilall was very introverted. She noted that Chunilall’s mother had died some years ago.
Guyana Times International was told that the couple had a history of domestic squabbles that sometimes saw Shavanie leaving the home for days.
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