‘Nasty criminals in this place’

AS THE funeral rites were being performed on the body of slain Penal grandfather Sylvan Lochan, senior policemen were in the village conducting investigations into whether policemen acted with negligence when responding to Lochan’s report of a break-in at his house. The senior lawmen spoke with villagers even as the anguished cries of Lochan’s wife, Girlin, and daughter, Susan, echoed through the funeral questioning Lochan’s painful death. “Why you boy? You never do anybody anything,” the wife cried. Two men, aged 19 and 22, of Mohess Road, were charged on Friday with murder, and are expected to appear before a Princes Town magistrate tomorrow. One of the suspects is a relative of the deceased. “There are some nasty criminals in this place,” said an elderly man who came to his pay his respects to Lochan.

Officiating Pundit Dianand Maharaj told mourners: “I hope this is an eye opener because when you look at the news and see murder in some other part of the country, now it (the crime of murder) reach right here in Mohess Road. Right in front of our eyes.” Only five months ago the Lochan family was struck by a double tragedy when Lochan’s son, Mitra, 32, and four-year-old grandson, Cameron, were killed in a vehicular crash along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. Lochan’s three-month-old granddaughter Candice who was also in the car miraculously survived. Yesterday she placed a flower on the casket.

“This family has lost all courage to face up to reality and to move on. But time is the greatest healer. They may be able to overcome their grief as time goes by,” the pundit said. Last Monday, Lochan was discovered dead in his home a few hours after he contacted police to report a break-in at his home. Reports surfaced that policemen of the Penal Police Station failed to respond to Lochan’s call since his house does not fall within their jurisdiction, and Barrackpore police arrived on the scene hours after Lochan had died. Senior policemen have since been assigned to investigate the matter.