By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
BATH SETTLEMENT, WEST COAST BERBICE — A horrifying confession has emerged in the tragic death of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran, with the child’s father reportedly admitting to detectives that he deliberately threw the boy into a deep drainage canal after a Hindu spiritual leader (pujari) claimed the child was not his biological son.
The suspect, 45-year-old Bharrat Jaikarran, is in police custody following an intensive search operation across Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
Investigators were led to the gruesome scene in the backlands near the Bath Settlement sea dam in the pre-dawn hours of Monday, where the decomposed remains of the six-year-old were pulled from the murky waters.
Regional Commander Senior Superintendent Lonsdale Withrite confirmed that critical confessions and surveillance footage tied the father directly to the crime scene, unraveling what detectives describe as a calculated act of filicide disguised as an early morning fishing excursion.
The Spiritual Trigger and Premeditated Movements
According to police sources close to the investigation, the motive stems from a consultation Jaikarran had with a religious practitioner days prior:
- The Pujari’s Pronouncement: Jaikarran reportedly told detectives that he visited a pujari on Sunday, October 11, during which the spiritual leader allegedly claimed that six-year-old Orlando was not his biological child. A Pujari is a Hindu temple priest who performs sacred worship (puja) and rituals.
- Staging the Motorcycle: The father’s statement suggests a calculated sequence of actions. Following the spiritual consultation, Jaikarran reportedly rode his motorcycle deep into the agricultural backlands near the Bath Settlement sea dam and parked it out of sight.
- Disguised as a Fishing Trip: Jaikarran then returned home on foot, woke the sleeping child, and took him out into the darkness. Knowing that the boy routinely accompanied him on early-morning fishing runs, the suspect told detectives he timed the departure to ensure that any neighbors or relatives seeing them together would assume it was an ordinary outing.
Thrown Overboard: A Non-Swimmer Left in the Canal
Once in the isolated canal corridor along the sea dam, Jaikarran allegedly took the six-year-old toward the deep water:
- Overboard Without Remorse: Investigators were told that Jaikarran threw his six-year-old son directly into the canal, fully aware that the boy could not swim, and made no effort to rescue him as he went under.
- Domestic Frustrations: Police intelligence indicates that in addition to the pujari’s paternity claims, Jaikarran expressed deep-seated frustration regarding ongoing disputes over domestic living arrangements and custody of his children.
Police Confirmation: Commander Withrite Details Discovery and Video Evidence
Speaking on the breakthrough in the case, Region Five Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Lonsdale Withrite, confirmed that admissions from the father broke the case wide open:
- Father Leads Police to Scene: Based on precise directions provided by the father during questioning, tactical ranks and crime scene investigators were deployed to the Bath Settlement sea dam corridor.
- Body Pulled at 1:45 AM: Shortly before 2:00 AM on Monday, ranks located the child’s decomposed body submerged in the canal.
“Based on some information that… [we received] around quarter to nine…” Senior Superintendent Withrite explained regarding the investigative breakthrough that narrowed down the search parameters.
Commander Withrite further confirmed that detectives secured external surveillance footage that directly placed the father in the area with the child before returning alone:
“We had some additional footage… which is the child’s father,” Withrite revealed, corroborating the timeline of the suspect’s movements.
The body of young Orlando Jaikarran remains at a regional hospital mortuary awaiting an official post-mortem examination, while detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) prepare a comprehensive case docket for legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to formally institute murder charges.
