Burnt teen tells harrowing story of capture, escape from cop brothers, others
Seventeen-year-old Akshay Budhairam who was allegedly beaten and burnt by two cops, who accused him of breaking into their La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home earlier this week has since denied the allegation while noting that he believes his attackers wanted him dead.
Budhairam yesterday told Stabroek News that he was abducted from a Superbet shop in his community where he was with some friends allegedly by a group of eight men, in two cars.
He said the men took him to the cops’ home where they tied him to a bed, handcuffed him, beat him and continuously asked for a phone and game he has been accused of stealing from their property.
The teen told Stabroek News that he believes his attackers wanted him dead. “I feel they did want kill me because me ain’t know wah they carry me till ah the back suh fah plus them beating me with a shovel…All me teeth all them bruk,” he said.
He said he has no knowledge of the allegation that is being levelled against him.“…If I did do duh when them throw the hot wata pun me, I woulda talk everything but me ain’t know wah them talking about,” he added.
Budhairam alleged that the men threatened that if he and his family reported the matter or take any actions against them, they will kill them. As such, he said he cannot even sleep at his home in the nights.
“Them seh anytime me family and them thing go to the station and we go report them, them guh come shoot we up and kill we because them know weh we live and burn down we house. I can’t sleep by me house,” he said.
The matter was made public on Tuesday during an emergency press conference which was hosted by Commissioner of Police Leslie James to address the issue.
James told the media that an investigation has been launched and that it is being spearheaded by a senior member of the force.
He had said that the two cops, who are brothers and are the son of a senior member of the force are presently under close arrest.
The ranks are stationed at the Tactical Services Unit and at the Wales Police Station.
James had explained that based on reports, the ranks allegedly picked up the teen around 11.30 am on Monday from his Westminster, WBD home in a private car, which was occupied by other individuals.
They took him to their house, where they allegedly beat and burnt the teen with a liquid, suspected to be hot water.
“The allegation is that sometime between the hours of 11.30, he [the teen] was picked up by these two ranks, who allegedly were with other persons, and taken to a dwelling in the Parfaite Harmonie area. I think the dwelling is their residence,” James had said.
“The background to that is that the dwelling was broken into sometime prior and it was felt that the young man was a suspect. The allegation is that that ranks proceeded to inflict injuries on him that is, he was beaten and he was also burnt about his body by
some liquid—I suspect it might have been water; hot water,” he had added.
The reported break and enter is said to have occurred on December 12th and some items were allegedly stolen from the house, James noted.
He further explained that the teen related to his sister what had transpired. The sister then told his mother and a report was made at La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station.
James said that the matter was bought to his attention on Tuesday morning by the Regional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean.
Crowbar
“About eight man run in the Superbet with crowbar, wood and jukker and so. Them snatch on pun me and start beating me. Pulling me fah carry me into a car,” Budhairam said.
He said his friends tried to help him but the men overcome them and he was knocked unconscious and placed in a car trunk.
“…Me friend them try fah help me…I start hold on pun one ah me friend who went with me and I telling he don’t let these people carry me nowhere because me ain’t know is weh them carrying me and them man lash he with a crowbar and vice me and black me out and throw me in a trunk,” Budhairam explained.
He said that the men were in two cars; a white and silver. He said he was placed in the trunk of the silver car.
Budhairam said when he regained consciousness, the men were reversing the car into a yard.
He further explained that they opened the trunk and threatened that if he attempt to escape, they would hurt him
“Them carry me in a house, put me in a room, handcuff me to a bedframe and start beating me. Them keep asking me weh them thing deh. I tell them me ain’t know about nothing. Them go and hot water in a electric kettle, a black kettle and they start throwing it pun me head. I feel it start running down pun me back and it start paining… .I start hollering…them cuffing me all in me ribs, lashing me all with a baseball bat,” the teen related.
Budhairam said after he screamed the men became afraid that he would have alerted nearby residents.
As such, he said they quickly placed him back into the car trunk and proceeded to a scheme.
Whilst in there and in fear for his life, the teen said he planned on how to escape.
“Them put me back in the car trunk and them start driving and them tek about 20 minutes. I feel them slowing down. Was two car, one went in front and the one wah I went in went at the back. Whilst the car moving slow now, I pull on ah the cable fah the trunk and the car open and I see the car moving slow. So I just jump out one time and gone pun a parapet rolling, jump over the gutter and run in the bush,” the teen related.
He said the men then stopped the car.
“Them start pelting me in the bush because them ain’t want come over the trench. Them stop the car and start picking up brick and them start bricking me down,” he added.
Budhairam said he spent a couple of minutes in the bush and after he noticed the car had left he began to walk to safety.
“I come out and start walking fah guh by me sister because I couldn’t reach by me mother. I did feeling nuff pain. When I run go by me sister now, I tell me sister call me mother and tell she let she come with a police because the handcuff did swelling up me hand. It did deh tight,” the teen lamented.
He said his mother subsequently arrived at his sister’s place and they went to the police station to report the matter.
The teen’s mother, Subrina (only name given) is calling for justice. “I just want justice. Me nah know wah go become ah this story honestly,” she said.
“If me son bad them shoulda carry he to the station, them nah shoulda beat he…..he coulda be a dead man today,” Subrina stated.