Latest update April 24th, 2026 12:40 AM
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Cumberland trio freed of 2022 abduction charge
(Kaieteur News) – Three men accused of kidnapping and assaulting another man walked out of the Berbice High Court on Thursday as free men after the jury found them not guilty of the charges.
Appearing before Justice Simone Morris -Ramlall were Dharamnauth Gafur, 35, Anil Parvitan, 33, and Leon Balgobin, 46. The men appeared at the Berbice High Court to answer abduction and assault causing actual bodily harm charges.
It was alleged that the trio committed the acts on 65-year-old Anarinedat Indranarine, also known as ‘Zaru’.
Acquitted: Anil Parvitan
Acquitted: Leon Balgobin
Acquitted: Dharamnauth Gafur
The men were slapped with one count of abduction and one count of assault causing actual bodily harm, each. They pleaded not guilty at the April 16, 2026 commencement of the trial.
The counts read before the men alleged that on August 17, 2022, Gafur, called ‘Ryan’, Parvitan, called ‘Black Boy’, and Balgobin, called ‘Searsman’, all of Cumberland Village, East Canje Berbice, abducted and assaulted Indranarine at Garrison Road, New Amsterdam.
The victim detailed that he was heading towards New Amsterdam along Garrison Road, when a grey Toyota motorcar pulled up beside him. Peering into the vehicle, Indranarine claimed to have recognised the three then suspects Parvitan, Gafur and Balgobin, and a male African Guyanese whom he identified as ‘Mikey’.
Indranarine mentioned that Gafur and Balgobin instructed that he dismount from his bicycle, but before he could either protest or comply, the car blocked him off, and he alleged that all four men quickly swarmed him and assaulted him about his face and body. The victim said he was then forced him into the car which then made course towards Belle Vue Village, East Bank Berbice, while he was further beaten.
Indranarine alleged that he received death threats throughout the ordeal which he estimated to have lasted 45 minutes. The men reportedly took him back to the location they took him from and the injured man made a report to the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam.
The three men were arrested and subsequently granted bail. During the trial, they were represented by attorney Kevin Morgan.
Nine witnesses were called last week by State prosecutor Marisa Edwards to testify.
Justice Morris-Ramlall extensively examined the evidence presented by both prosecution and defence. After a two-hour long deliberation on Thursday, the jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on each count for the three men.
Justice Morris-Ramlall then formally declared the men free and discharged the case.
Outside of the courtroom, a tearful Gafur conveyed his relief that his life can now return to a state of normalcy, now that the four-year anxiety of court proceedings is out of the way.
“I’m really glad it’s finished and everything ok. Me and my friends them (were) accused wrongfully, so I’m glad it finished. Very happy now, I can get to live my life out here,” the relieved man told Kaieteur News.
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