Man accuses cops of not acting on reported death threat

Eccles resident Ravin Tiwari, 28, is fearful for his life, and that of his family after an alleged threat to his life during a verbal engagement just over a week ago.

Tiwari is also distressed that the alleged perpetrator, who claims to be acquainted with officers within the Guyana Police Force (GPF), has not reported to police in spite of being asked by ranks to do so.

Tiwari told this newspaper that the issue began on November 14th, when the driver of a pickup truck parked his vehicle in front of his bridge, where his car was parked, just as he was preparing to leave with his sisterin-law, wife, and young child. He had never seen the man before this occasion.

Tiwari says that as the truck driver was exiting his vehicle to visit a taxi service obliquely opposite his residence and he asked him to move his vehicle to allow him to exit. Instead of moving the vehicle, however, Tiwari says, the man cursed him and went about his business.

He said that when his wife and sister-in-law came outside, he called the pick-up’s driver again, at which point he allegedly used more expletives at Tiwari. This time, Tiwari says, he threatened to call the business number which was printed on the vehicle the man was driving, only to be informed by the man that he was the proprietor of the business.

Tiwari said he then threatened to report the motorist’s conduct to the Providence Police Station, at which point the motorist invited him to do whatever he wanted to. The motorist also allegedly threatened to kill Tiwari at this point and added that nothing would happen in he did kill him, as he knows the Inspectors within the GPF. Tiwari says the man then threatened to shoot him.

Tiwari said that he started to video record the threats that the man was making as he became scared for his life. He said that the motorist at this point entered his vehicle, and stopped talking for a bit.

A video of the entire ordeal, recorded by Tiwari’s home security system and which was shared with this newspaper, shows the motorist reversing his vehicle into a position which puts its further in the way of Tiwari’s car, thereby more effectively blocking him in. Then, after about a minute, the motorist drove off. The video footage also captures the ordeal from the time the motorist stops for first time in front of Tiwari’s driveway, cutting his vehicle off.

Visit to Providence station

Tiwari, who had gone home for lunch that day, says that instead of returning to work, as was the plan, he drove straight to the Providence Police Station to report the incident.

He said that when he went into the police station, he was told by a female rank to sit and that his statement would be taken shortly, as she was “doing something.”

Tiwari said that after sitting for a while, another rank entered the station and enquired of the female rank whether she was going to take Tiwari’s statement.

At this point, he said, he told the female rank what had transpired and even showed her the videos he had taken with her phone. He said that he also told the police officer that the man claimed to know all of the senior inspectors in the police force.

However, Tiwari, lamented that the female rank only took his name, number, and address and told him that she would prepare the report later, as she was busy. She then told him that he could leave.

Tiwari said that the following day, he saw the motorist again as he was exiting Eccles, and became scared. These feelings intensified, he said, when the motorist called him a gay slur and, again, threatened to kill him.

Tiwari further shared that as he was proceeding along the East Bank highway heading toward his place of work, he noticed that the pick-up was behind him and he once again started making a video as he was scared. Given that they were coming from the same direction, however, he accepts that the motorist was not necessarily following him. He shared, though, that he became worried in light of what had transpired the day before.

‘No report’

Tiwari said that around lunch on the same day, he visited the

Providence Police Station once more to ascertain whether anything had been done with his report the previous day, and to report the new incident.

He was surprised, however, to learn that the female officer who promised to write his report never did so, as there was no record of the report he had made. “There was no record of the report. A different officer who was there checked the book and said that there was no report,” Tiwari told Stabroek News.

Tiwari said he asked how his report from the previous day was not recorded. “If the man did kill me, no record would be there that he threatened my life,” he observed.

He said that another officer told him not to worry about the officer who did not take his statement. That officer then proceeded to take his statement, which he signed. He said that he then asked whether he could make a report on what happened on the 15th, but was told that that statement would be taken when the motorist who allegedly threatened his life reported to the police station.

Tiwari said that at that point, another rank asked him whether he had a number for the motorist who allegedly threatened him. Tiwari said that he did as he took a photograph of the information that was on the man’s vehicle.

He further said that the police officer told him to call the number from his phone, which he did, before passing the phone to the police officer. Tiwari observed that by doing this, the motorist was put into possession of his contact information. Fortunately, however, he says that the motorist has not used him number except once, when he called to get the name of the police officer.

“I just hung up the phone, because I didn’t want any dealing with he,” Tiwari said.

Tiwari explained that during the police officer’s telephone conversation with the motorist, he asked the motorist to provide his vehicle number and to confirm whether he was the person who was involved in the verbal altercation with Tiwari the day before, to which he replied in the affirmative.

Tiwari noted that the motorist was then asked to report to the police station right away but the man said that he could not. He promised, however, to return by 6 pm with his attorney-at-law.

Tiwari said the officers promised to call him when the motorist reported to the police station. This was Saturday, November 15th. To date, he said, he has not heard anything, and remains fearful for his life and that of his family.

Tiwari also said that the failure of police officers to move with any kind of alacrity is causing him to believe the motorist’s claim that he is indeed familiar with senior members of the force. “I frighten the man shoot me. I frighten the man got police connections,” a worried Tiwari said.