- pleads sister of the murdered Baldeo
“If only I could turn back the hands of time …if only I could see him one more time.” This was the incessant plea of 54 year old Baldeo Singh’s aging sister, Hilmattie Budhu, whose home he shared at Lot 153 Second Street, Montrose, East Coast Demerara.

The news that Baldeo, her only brother, had been killed along with several others during a massacre at Bartica on Sunday night, dealt Hilmattie a devastating blow. Yesterday, she recalled the horror of seeing his bullet-riddled, blood-spattered and lifeless body, brought from Bartica to the Lyken’s Funeral Home on Monday.

Baldeo, also called ‘Gupty’, a labourer on the Davie II vessel, owned by Captain Abdool Yasseen, and contracted to transport goods for Banks DIH to Bartica, left his home one week ago, in high spirits, promising Hilmattie and others that he’d be back soon.

But fate determined otherwise, and exactly one week later, on the morning of Monday, February 18, she turned on the television set only to learn that there had been a massacre at Bartica which claimed 12 lives, and that all the crew members on board the Davie II had been murdered.

Telephone calls from other relatives began coming in rapid succession. Wishing to have confirmation, a relative in the home telephoned Banks DIH and it was confirmed that the entire three-member crew aboard the Davie II had perished.

Gunned down along with Baldeo were his boss, the 23-year-old Captain Abdool Yasseen, of 153 Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, and another male crew member. Alongside them, relatives said, were two other crew members from another ship.

Relatives recalled sharing the grief of the people of Lusignan whose family members were shot and killed – empathizing and sympathizing with them. But it was only after the Bartica bloodbath that they realized the real horror of losing a loved one.

“No words can really explain…they were like animals on the ground bleeding,” one relative said, shaking her head in disbelief. Baldeo was shot in the front of his neck, and the bullet exited at the back.

Baldeo’s relatives recalled that they turned up at the parlour long before the arrival of the corpses, and waited. As the hearses pulled up, they recounted, there were loud agonizing wails, and “everybody present started screaming, whether they had a relative there or not,” they said.

Recalling that he had only celebrated his 54th birthday on January 15, Hilmattie said she had no idea it would have been his last. He previously worked as a fisherman and took up employment on the Davie II about eight months ago.Relatives described him as a hard working, very jovial, loving and caring person, who will be deeply missed in the home, and by all with whom he associated. “His death was really a shock to us,” his younger female cousins said.

Baldeo also leaves to mourn one daughter, Anita, 28; and a four-year-old granddaughter and other relatives. Arrangements are being made for him to be buried later this week.

Meanwhile, relatives said Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir visited the home yesterday morning and promised that his ministry would assist with the funeral.Residents questioned whether there are…