By: Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
The owner of the Double Day Hotel, who was arrested earlier this year in connection with the controversial death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, has moved to the High Court, arguing that the state continues to subject him to unlawful and unfair treatment by preventing him from leaving Guyana.
Hotel proprietor Bhojnarine Bhola has filed a constitutional challenge contesting what his legal team describes as an illegal and ongoing restriction on his freedom of movement, despite police statements indicating there is no evidence of foul play in the child’s death.
The High Court application, filed on December 5, is being mounted by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Sanjeev Datadin, along with attorneys Khalif Gobin and Mohanie Anganoo. The case names Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Attorney General Anil Nandlall as respondents.
According to the filings, Bhola remains subject to a de facto travel ban imposed by the Guyana Police Force, despite not having been charged with any offence. His attorneys argue that no lawful stop order or judicial directive exists to justify the continued restriction.
The court documents trace the matter back to April, when Adriana Younge was reported missing and later discovered dead in the swimming pool of the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, Essequibo Coast. Bhola was detained for several days and initially booked on a murder allegation, but was never formally charged.
Subsequently, investigators publicly stated that the child’s death appeared consistent with drowning. However, the final findings of a second autopsy have not yet been made public.
Despite those statements, Bhola’s legal team contends that his release was conditioned on remaining within Guyana’s jurisdiction, a condition they argue has persisted unlawfully for months. They maintain that the restriction violates constitutional protections, amounts to punishment without charge, and is inconsistent with the presumption of innocence.
The application also highlights Bhola’s cooperation with investigators, including the voluntary submission of DNA samples and compliance with all police requests.
In outlining the broader impact of the case, the filing notes that Bhola’s hotel, private residence, and vehicles were destroyed by fire during public unrest following the child’s death, leaving him displaced and financially devastated.
Additionally, the court was told that Bhola has been unable to travel to Canada to visit his terminally ill father, despite making repeated written requests to authorities seeking confirmation that any travel restriction had been lifted.
The legal team is asking the court to order the immediate removal of any stop order, watchlist entry, or administrative barrier preventing Bhola from travelling freely, and to affirm his constitutional right to freedom of movement in the absence of criminal charges.
The matter adds to ongoing public debate surrounding the handling of the Adriana Younge case and raises broader questions about due process, proportionality, and state accountability.
