Son torches parents’ home in ‘drunken rage’

In what seems to be a clear case of arson, a couple of Number 59 Village is now homeless and counting losses after the building they once knew as their home went up in flames. Their 21-year-old son went on a drunken tirade on Friday afternoon. The blaze was the aftermath.

The victims have been identified as Dhanraj Rambally and his wife, Anjanee Rambally, while their son, the arson accused, has been identified as Dhanraj Vekanand, known as Rishi. A neighbor of the fire victims, Kamini Bahadoor, who was at home when the inferno began, said that she heard a commotion outside of her home and upon inquiring noticed her neighbors’ home engulfed in flames. She stated that she ran out in an effort to lend her assistance when she noticed Rishi standing on the dam, intoxicated and his father lying face down on the bridge. According to her, this prevented persons from assisting in taming the blaze but by that time the fire brigade and the police were summoned. Another neighbor disclosed that she saw the blaze and persons gathered on the street so she rushed out.

Dasratt Mohabir, Community Policing Group Chairman of Number 59 Village, told Kaieteur News that the father and son are in the habit of imbibing alcohol to the point where they become uncontrollable. According to him a gasoline and diesel container along with a lighter was found at the scene. He stated that Rishi who was intoxicated admitted to firemen that he set the house ablaze by throwing the fuel on the car that was parked at the bottom flat of the house. The car then exploded and lifted itself off the ground with the roof of the car smashing into the floor of the house which subsequently burst into flames, setting the house alight in the process.

When the police arrived on the scene, Rishi was arrested and taken into police custody at the Number 51 Police Station. From information gathered from neighbors the couple had moved back to Guyana some seven months ago whilst their son returned a year ago. One neighbor stated that when the young man imbibes in alcohol he becomes a nuisance to villagers and his parents. A source stated that he was put on a one year bond for assaulting his parents a few months ago.

(Kaieteur news)