Police have seized six cutlasses and other items as investigations intensify into the alleged murder of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran, a case that has prompted President Irfaan Ali to call for a review of the death penalty and sparked condemnation from senior government ministers.
The Guyana Police Force said further investigations were conducted on Tuesday, October 20, during which detectives recovered items of evidential value at Waterloo Main Canal, West Coast Berbice, where the alleged murder reportedly occurred.
A separate search at a residence in Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, resulted in the seizure of six cutlasses and other articles, which have since been lodged as exhibits.
Police have not disclosed whether the cutlasses were allegedly used in the killing or explained their specific evidential significance.
Two men remain in custody assisting with the investigation: Orlando’s 45-year-old father, Bharrat Jaikarran, and another man believed to be a pujari, or Hindu religious officiant.
The authorities have not publicly established the full circumstances surrounding the child’s death, and the evidential significance of the items seized remains unclear.
President raises death penalty
The tragedy has triggered an unusually forceful response from President Ali, who said the country should seriously examine the death penalty as a punishment for exceptionally heinous crimes.
Speaking to News Room journalist Neil Marks on Tuesday, Ali said he had instructed Attorney General Anil Nandlall to examine the legal implications of the issue.
“The death penalty is something that we have to look at if we want to really send a strong signal,” the President said.
When asked whether he supported the death penalty as that stronger response, Ali replied:
“100%.”
The President acknowledged human rights considerations but argued that the country needed to examine whether existing penalties adequately reflected the gravity of particularly brutal crimes.
His comments have shifted part of the national discussion from the investigation itself to the adequacy of Guyana’s criminal penalties.
Ministers condemn alleged killing
Human Services and Social Security Minister Vindhya Persaud also condemned the alleged killing and called for accountability.
Persaud expressed concern over reports that a religious officiant had allegedly told the child’s father that Orlando was not his biological son.
“I unequivocally condemn any pujari (as is alleged in the newspaper) who causes destruction in homes by uttering statements under the guise of ‘religion’,” she said.
She added:
“It is unconscionable to create mischief in anyone’s mind, home and family.”
Persaud warned against individuals who use claims of spiritual insight or religious authority to influence others in potentially destructive ways.
Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand also condemned the alleged killing, expressing outrage over the circumstances reported in the case. According to Guyana Standard, Manickchand questioned the conduct attributed to the child’s father and raised concerns about the alleged role of the religious officiant.
Investigation continues
Orlando’s body was discovered in a canal at Bath Settlement on October 20, following a search that began after he was reported missing on October 14.
The seizure of weapons and other items marks a further development in the police investigation, but authorities have not publicly explained whether forensic examinations have established a connection between the exhibits and the child’s death.
The case has raised disturbing questions about the circumstances leading to the tragedy, the potential influence of religious claims on family relationships and the protection of vulnerable children.
Both men remain in police custody as investigators continue their enquiries. Their detention does not constitute proof of guilt, and any criminal allegations must be established through the judicial process.
