Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
Man claims CANU ranks tied him to post, beat him unconscious
…father collapses and dies on hearing news
Head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, James Singh, has denied allegations that his ranks inflicted a severe beating on a Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara resident, on Tuesday causing him to be hospitalized.
Seshnarayan Dwarka is alleging that he was taken from his home around 05:00hrs by CANU ranks on Monday after they conducted a search and came up empty handed.
Seshnarayan Dwarka displays injuries on arms and belly
Yesterday, Dwarka recounted a story of being pulled from his home, with a black bag placed over his head and about 15 ranks beating him about the body.
He also showed Kaieteur News photographs of his bruised and distended stomach.
Kaieteur News was told by Dwarka that after he was taken from his home, he was handcuffed and taken into a tinted motorcar.
He was then taken to CANU headquarters on Homestretch Avenue for further questioning.
The man said that the officers started questioning him about some “missing drugs and a Blackberry cell phone”.
“They asking me to tell them where the drugs and cell phone deh…I say I ain’t know nothing…I does walk and sell,” Dwarka told Kaieteur News yesterday.
He said the ranks became more hostile towards him and started using threats in an effort to get him to talk about the “missing items”.
Dwarka said that he was placed in a room with about 15 ranks who started beating him about the body to make him talk.
A black bag was then placed over his head and Dwarka alleges that the ranks stared stomping him in the abdomen.
The man said that during the beating he maintained that he knew nothing about the drugs or the missing cell phone.
Later that same day, Dwarka said that his wife, Kavita, went to CANU headquarters to query why he was arrested and was being detained even though the police found nothing in the home.
According to the wife, the ranks told her that he was being questioned about “missing cocaine and a Blackberry cell phone” and that she shouldn’t worry about anything.
Her request to see her husband was granted, and according to her his entire face, hands and abdomen appeared to be swollen and discoloured.
The woman was eventually sent away. “They asked her not to contact any lawyer since they were going to release me after more questioning,” Dwarka said.
Seconds after his wife left, Dwarka said that the ranks tied him to a post and started beating him again.
This time he said that the beating was so severe that he was rendered unconscious. He was revived after the ranks threw a bucket of water on him.
After this, Dwarka alleges that the ranks placed him in a vehicle and took him to the Le Repentir Cemetery, where the beating continued.
They allegedly spent about 30 minutes in the burial ground, before they went back to CANU headquarters.
“All de time in de burial ground they deh beating…then they turn and say they gun pay me to tell them is where de things deh,” Dwarka explained.
Dwarka was eventually released on Tuesday after his father died. According to Dwarka, his father suffered from hypertension and collapsed after hearing about the incident.
The man said that the CANU ranks told him to return. Instead, he sought the services of prominent defence attorney lawyer, Nigel Hughes.
The attorney told Kaieteur News yesterday that he will be filing criminal and civil charges against CANU come next week.
Meanwhile, head of CANU, James Singh yesterday denied any wrongdoing on his agency’s part.
According to Singh, Dwarka came into the office for questioning into the missing items.
He said that the man admitted that he took the items and gave a statement to this effect. Singh said that Dwarka left the office without any marks on his body and expressed puzzlement at the man’s allegations.
Investigations into the matter are continuing.
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