Stewartville labourer remanded over stepson’s murder

Forty-nine-year-old Balram Bessessar, also known as Navin, a labourer from Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, has been remanded to prison following his charge for the murder of his 15-year-old stepson, Sudesh Singh, also called Joel.

Bessessar appeared before Magistrate Ravindranauth Singh at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, where the charge was read to him. He was not required to plead and was remanded until October 10, 2025, when the case is scheduled to be called again.

The incident reportedly occurred on October 3, 2025. Bessessar was arrested on the same day and formally charged on October 7. According to police reports, the teen lived with his 35-year-old mother, Roshanini Surujballi, and his stepfather in the lower flat of a two-storey wooden and concrete home.

On the day of the incident, an argument allegedly broke out between Singh and Bessessar over a bicycle that the teen had used, which reportedly caused its chain to slip. The altercation escalated when Bessessar allegedly armed himself with a cutlass and inflicted multiple chops on the teen, causing fatal injuries to his neck.

Following the incident, Bessessar reportedly went to the Leonora Police Station, where he reported the matter and was subsequently arrested.

Sudesh Singh was later pronounced dead at the Leonora Cottage Hospital. A post-mortem examination confirmed that the teen’s death was caused by a chop wound.

This case remains under investigation, and the court will hear the matter again on October 10.