The family of prisoner Justin Ramlochan is calling for an investigation by the authorities into his alleged attempted escape from a prison van.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on Monday evening when Ramlochan and two remand prisoners were being transported in an Amalgamated Security Services Limited vehicle.
While the vehicle was travelling along the Uriah Butler Highway near Grand Bazaar, Valsayn, Ramlochan, who was shackled, allegedly pried open the back door and jumped out.
Ramlochan, who sustained severe injuries to his head, hand and face, was taken to the nearby Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope by police officers who were escorting the prisoner transport vehicle.
His mother, Sandra Ramlochan, told Guardian Media her son is in severe pain and has bandages all over his face and other parts of his body.
She said she was allowed to see her son, who is an electrician, for only two minutes but is concerned about how he would have been able to pry open a door to exit a moving prison van when he was searched before entering it.
Ramlochan said she wanted answers about what happened, as she said her son was going to be out on bail a few hours later and that everything was in place for him to be returned to the family.
Attorney Bhimal Maharajh with client Sandra Ramlochan, the mother of 26-year-old Justin Ramlochan, outside the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex yesterday.
SHIRLEY BAHADUR
Justin Ramlochan’s attorney, Bhimal Maharajh, is challenging claims his client attempted to escape from custody by jumping out of the prisoner transport vehicle after being granted bail on domestic violence charges on Monday. He added that legal action is being looked at for negligence in this matter and that a thorough investigation must be done.
Ramlochan remained warded in a critical condition under police guard yesterday and is expected to be charged with escaping lawful custody upon his discharge.
Guardian Media understands that hours before the incident, Ramlochan was granted $150,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Adrian Darmanie to answer one charge of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, two charges of malicious damage and one of breaking and entering.
The charges, which Ramlochan pleaded not guilty to, stemmed from an incident last Friday.
Ramlochan is accused of assaulting the woman, breaking into her apartment and destroying a $2,500 cellphone, a $7,000 television and a $2,500 laptop. He is also accused of stealing a DVR system connected to CCTV cameras at the victim’s home.
In applying for bail, Maharajh argued that Ramlochan had a clean criminal record before being charged for the offences and surrendered to police after the incident.
Efforts to contact the Acting Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar yesterday were unsuccessful.