Man awarded $100,000

The businessman, Nehrulal Singh, better known as Motee, sued the police through his attorney Yaseen Ahmed, and won. Last Tuesday, Justice Mustapha Ibrahim awarded Singh over $100,000 in damages for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment.

In making the award, Ibrahim described the facts of the case as somewhat bizarre.

According to the facts, Singh, the owner of Waterfront Restaurant and Bar on Plaisance Road, Mayaro, was resting when his wife alerted him about a man offering jewelry for sale to the customers. The jewelry was in a bag and the man was showing it to the customers who complained about the intrusion by the man.

Singh said he ordered the man to leave his premises and proceeded to call the police. He then went back to rest. The man did not leave but continued to offer his merchandise for sale, much to the customers’ annoyance.

Singh’s wife complained to him again and he called the police a second time. When nothing happened, Singh had to call the police a third time. The police station is a few hundred yards from Singh’s bar.

Sometime after the third call, while Singh was resting his wife informed him that some people wanted to see him. Singh said he walked toward the bar area where two men and a woman grabbed him and pushed him against a fridge and handcuffed him. He said that it was only when he looked up at the woman’s face that he recognised that she was a police officer attached to the Mayaro Police Station.

Singh said they actually dragged him out of the bar and all the way to the station, in spite of his pleas to allow him to put on a shirt and shoes.

At the station he was thrown in a cell and remained handcuffed because the police had lost the key for the handcuffs. He was later charged with obscene language and resisting arrest.

The police said Singh used obscene language and that is why he was arrested.

In finding in Singh’s favour, Ibrahim awarded him $10,000 for malicious prosecution; $15, 000 for damages for trespass to the person; he received an additional $18,000 for false imprisonment; a further $30,000 for aggravated damages and another $20,000 for exemplary damages; $2,000 for personal injuries and $7,000 for special damages.