Caption: Bharrat Jaikarran
- The Charge: Bharrat Jaikarran, a 45-year-old cane harvester, has been remanded to prison, charged with the murder of his six-year-old son, Orlando Jaikarran.
- The Discovery: The child’s partially decomposed and mutilated body was found in a canal at Waterloo, West Coast Berbice, on October 20, nearly a week after he was reported missing.
- Official Outrage: Government ministers have strongly condemned the killing, warning against the use of religion or superstition to justify violence and calling for the harshest legal penalties.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) – A 45-year-old cane harvester has been remanded to prison after appearing in a magistrate’s court on Friday, charged with the murder of his six-year-old son, Orlando Jaikarran, whose body was discovered in a canal at Waterloo, West Coast Berbice, earlier this week.
Bharrat Jaikarran appeared before Magistrate Shareefah Parks at the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court, where the prosecution alleged that the offence occurred on October 15, 2026, at Waterloo, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.
The accused’s mother, Gowkarran, broke down in tears during the brief hearing, which was also attended by several other relatives.
Police prosecutor Garfield Edwards told the court that the case file had been completed and legal advice obtained. He added that investigations were continuing into the potential involvement of another suspect.
Jaikarran was remanded to prison until November 12, and the matter has been transferred to the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court for further proceedings.
Police stated that Jaikarran, who lived with his three children, had initially reported that Orlando was last seen alive on the evening of October 14.
The child’s partially decomposed body was later discovered on October 20 on the northern side of Waterloo. Police reported that his head, part of his left hand, and his right foot had been severed. A post-mortem examination was subsequently conducted, but the cause of death was recorded as unascertainable due to the advanced state of decomposition.
Meanwhile, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud has condemned what she described as the use of religion and superstition to justify atrocities against children, insisting that no faith should ever serve as a cover for brutality.
“No faith, no religion, no one should parade under the guise of faith and religion to do the kinds of atrocities that I’m hearing of. None,” she said at a candlelight vigil on Thursday evening.
“We cannot condone these things. And I’m very plain about it. Don’t subscribe to nonsense and superstition,” said Persaud, who was joined by Education Minister Sonia Parag, government officials, teachers, students, and residents.
“What has happened is a monstrosity, a brutality beyond what any sensible mind can comprehend,” she said, adding, “I expect a thorough investigation. I expect prosecution. That is why the law is here. I expect the harshest penalty for anyone who committed this. No holds barred.”
Persaud also referenced a statement by President Irfaan Ali, who she said had suggested that the time may have come to revisit some of the penalties currently provided under the law.
The Minister expressed anger that a child could suffer such a fate when the adults responsible for his care should have been his greatest source of protection.
“The arms that should love, care for, protect, and hold a child safe – those arms didn’t do that,” she said. She urged parents and guardians never to allow anger or adult conflicts to result in harm to children, stressing that their safety must remain paramount.
Parag also demanded accountability as she pledged support for Orlando’s grieving school community.
“Every ounce of what the law should do, it should do in this case,” Parag said, adding that she intends to personally visit Bath Primary School, where Orlando was a Grade One pupil, to provide comfort and support to his classmates and teachers.
