Missing boy found with head chopped off

Oct 21, 2026 News

…father’s confession shatters family

…mother demands justice; Pres. Ali talks up death penalty

…grandmother says her “two feet couldn’t stand” after learning her son killed his child

By Shermon Hawker

(Kaieteur News) – The harrowing case of missing six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran came to a tragic end on Tuesday morning when the child’s body was found in the backlands of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, in an advanced state of decomposition.

Orlando’s father, Bharat Jaikarran, had been at the centre of the investigation since the child was reported missing last Wednesday. He was taken into police custody along with two others as investigators searched for the missing child.

Dead: Six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran

Police stated that the child was reportedly taken to the canal, where he was allegedly dealt a chop to his neck with a cutlass.

Acting on information, police ranks and civilians formed a search party and searched the Waterloo Main Canal on Tuesday, during which they discovered a partially decomposed body of a male child, suspected to be that of the missing child.

The head was visibly severed from the body, along with portions of the left hand and right foot.

The body was subsequently escorted to the Bath Regional Hospital, where a doctor confirmed the child’s death. The body awaits a post-mortem examination.

Two males have been questioned and are in police custody assisting with the ongoing investigation.

Bharat had initially told investigators that he had retired to bed with his three children, including Orlando, and was awakened by two of the children, who informed him that Orlando was missing from the home.

Bharat Jaikarran, father of six-year-old Orlando.

On Tuesday, however, Bharat reportedly confessed to police in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) that he had murdered his son by throwing him into a canal. This followed his earlier insistence that, as a father, he could not do anything to harm the boy. He had even assured his own mother that he loved all his children.

The child’s mother, Navita Ramnarine, said she was shocked that Orlando’s own father would end his young life. The six-year-old had been living with his father following the couple’s separation.

“I never expected that his father would do that to him. As a father of a child, I’m feeling real down,” Ramnarine said.

She told reporters that the separation was prompted by persistent abuse, which she suffered at the hands of Jaikarran. After exhausting legal avenues, she said, she allowed him to retain custody of their children. She added that he had never been abusive towards the children.

Orlando, she said, was her favourite. He was the youngest of four siblings, aged 11, 10, seven and six. Three of the children lived with their father, while one stayed with their grandmother.

Location: The canal behind Waterloo Street, Bath Settlement, where the child was reportedly taken by his father.

Footage circulating on social media reportedly showed Jaikarran carrying the child in his arms to a backland area and later returning alone. Ramnarine said she recognised him when she watched the video.

Navita Ramnarine stated that six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran was her favourite child.

“He was wrong to do that, as a father. He make the child, and now he did that to a child? I would tell him that he is very cruel to do that to his own child. I need justice for him. I need justice for Orlando Jaikarran,” the grieving mother said.

She called on the authorities to ensure that her son’s father remains behind bars and never returns to the outside world.

Orlando’s body was found floating in the Sea Dam Canal at Bath Settlement. Police ranks reportedly had to fire shots to scare away alligators that had gathered around the body. His remains were subsequently taken to Bailey’s Funeral Home.

A heartbreaking lie

In an earlier interview with reporters, Orlando’s paternal grandmother, 65-year-old Dhankumarie Gowkarran, said she had directly questioned her son about his possible involvement in the child’s disappearance. She said she was reassured when he denied any involvement.

Dhankumarie Gowkarran, 65, mother of the suspect, said her son has left her in shock and disgrace.

Gowkarran had remained hopeful that Orlando was safe and would eventually be found alive. She recalled returning from New York recently, where Orlando and two of his siblings had visited her. After treating the children to sweets, she sent them home to assist their father.

That was last Monday, the final day she saw her grandson.

At around 03:00hrs on Tuesday, ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) visited her home and informed her that the child’s remains had been found.

Gowkarran told Kaieteur News that her grandson’s death had dealt her a devastating blow, but her grief deepened when police informed her that her son had confessed to killing the child. She said the revelation had taken a serious toll on her health and affected her relationships with others.

“This morning when I hear that my son kill he pickney, my two feet couldn’t stand. I feel so bad. I didn’t expect my son to do that. He told me how he does look after he children,” she said.

“When I hear this thing, I can’t sleep. I can’t sleep. This boy mek my head look down from everybody. Everybody telling me look wuh meh son do. They disowned me. Nobody want to see me. But I didn’t cause that. He live he life. I deh home here. I’m so sorry for my grandchildren them, because they don’t have a mother to take care of them,” the pensioner said tearfully.

Nationwide condemnation

Orlando’s death has triggered widespread grief and condemnation across Guyana. People from various sections of society have denounced the killing, while calls for the immediate implementation of the death penalty have intensified on social media and elsewhere.

President Irfaan Ali has said that extreme punitive measures should be considered in response to such crimes, noting that they could help “send a strong signal”. He also said he had tasked the Attorney General with reviewing the practical elements of the relevant laws.

“We’ve always kept our development and our thoughts within the confines of human rights, but there are some of these things that touches the core of our society…that I think requires a level of action that sends a signal and a message that is strong, and is understood clearly that such behaviour has no place in our society,” President Ali said.

Several government ministers have also condemned the tragedy. Education Minister Sonia Parag described the killing as “senseless and reprehensible”, while Human Services Minister Vindhya Persaud said that “no child deserves such brutality”.

Local Government Minister Priya Manickchand also strongly hinted at capital punishment in response to the gruesome killing of the child by his own father.

Opposition Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir stressed that Orlando deserved the opportunity to live out his future and condemned the circumstances of his death.

“Justice must be swift and sure and care, protection and sustained support for the children left to bear this terrible loss,” the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) MP said.

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death penalty, head chopped off, Missing boy, murder, Orlando Jaikarran

One thought on “Missing boy found with head chopped off”

habeeb October 21, 2026 at 12:27 pm

Ali can squeal all he wants about death penalty reserved for crimes like this.
Nothing can be done, until the Death Penalty is restored in Guyana.
In the meanwhile, thousands have been murdered since Guyana stopped
hanging convicted criminals. The murderers continue to have a field day
knowing, they will never be hanged. Lifespan is short in Guyana. Everyone
living with a short fuse.

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