radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, primary school teacher Amar Deobarran has been helping children who were struggling with online classes, ensuring they excelled in their Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams.
He supplied SEA booklets, offered free classes to poor children and even sold ground provisions cheap to help struggling families.
But in a sudden twist, the loving teacher turned into a killer around 7.40 pm last Friday when he chopped his wife Omatie Ramdial-Deobarran to death in front of his eight-year-old son, before taking his own life at their South Oropouche Trace, Barrackpore home.
Omatie had filed for divorce and had obtained legal custody of their two children.
Since the murder/suicide, there has been an outpouring of condemnation levelled against Deobarran. Seven months before he killed Omatie and then took his own life, he confessed to her that he was having an affair and had fathered a child outside of their marriage.
Deobarran was loved by his students.
In 2020, a video was posted on his page with loving notes from his pupils, who said his support with their SEA preparation was immeasurable. He had a teacher’s Diploma in Education, a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Education, which earned him the post of Head of Department at his school.
In 2020, he also received awards from his school at Avocat Vedic Primary. He was involved in many extra-curricular activities, planted cassava and pineapple for sale to help those less fortunate, helped in community-based initiatives and lent support to family and friends.
On Facebook, Maureen Clement posted, “Amar Deobarran was a tremendously gifted teacher. He spent hours planning and preparing his lessons to ensure that his students had the best outcomes. He gave lessons but went above and beyond to ensure his students were well prepared. Amar was generous to a fault. He gave to those in need, always looking for the needy so he could provide help. He was enterprising and entrepreneurial, and with his pineapple and provision farm, he always had something to sell. He was never afraid of work and as a Science teacher, he embraced technology, so much so that it must have given him a headstart with online learning during the pandemic.”
Darren Lee Him wrote, “Amar Deobarran, my dear friend and brother, I can’t believe it. I’m still in shock by this news, here we are sharing some good enjoyable times and then suddenly this happen. Just a phone call away bro, why didn’t you call. We would never understand what caused it.”
But speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, a relative who requested anonymity said it was when Deobarran’s father, Praimnath Deobarran, died suddenly from COVID-19 on May 16 last year that Deobarran’s life began falling apart.
“Amar’s father was a nice man but when he died, everything start to go downhill,” the relative said.
The relative said frequent arguments erupted which affected the children. In another video sent to Guardian Media, Deobarran is heard comforting his daughter, who said she could not have a good Christmas because of the frequent fights.
Deobarran’s love for his children and the children whom he taught was undeniable.
However, his relative said his decision to engage in an extra-marital affair with the mother of one of his students was what led to the tragedy.
His family has apologised for his actions, saying they do not condone violence against women.
Autopsies are scheduled for this week.
