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Youth found guilty of severing former teacher’s hand
Heralall Goberdhan ponders what might have been
Mahatma Dhanraj being escorted to jail
Mahatma Dhanraj, 21, of Second Street Number Two village, East Canje, was yesterday found guilty of severing his teacher’s hand on July 6, 2005.
He appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds and a mixed jury at the Berbice High Court on the charge of feloniously wounding his former teacher and neighbour, now Head master Heralall Goberdhan.
The case for the prosecution was that on the day in question, the two families who were neighbours had a misunderstanding. Dhanraj, who was 16 years at the time, armed himself with a cutlass and chopped Goberdhan, completely severing his left hand. Goberdhan who had once taught the youngster at the Number Two Primary School and had helped nurture him as a youngster, was picked up and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was admitted.
At the time Goberdhan was the headmaster of the Zorg Primary School and had recently completed studies at the University of Guyana. He is now headmaster of the Betsy Ground Primary School in East Canje.
The preliminary inquiry which was completed in July 2009 and Dhanraj was committed to stand trial in the High Court.
Dhanraj was subsequently placed on bail, but he failed to turn up for his trial thus an arrest warrant was issued for him.
Speaking to Kaieteur News after the verdict, Goberdhan, who has been a trained teacher since 1983 and is the sole breadwinner of his family, said that he has to support his wife and his seven children aged seven to 17.
He said that after the incident he was devastated. At the time of the incident he had just completed University and had to ride over eight miles to work at Zorg (New Forest) on his motor cycle. He also had to start using Prosthetics.
He was recently promoted and posted to Region Eight as Education Officer, but after a short while he had to give up the post due to his incapacitation.
Goberdhan said that since the incident he keeps asking the question why, why. He said that he actually helped to nurture his attacker when he was born.
Justice Reynolds has ordered a probation report which should be delivered by September 29, when he is expected to sentence Dhanraj.
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