A police officer from the Trou aux Biches police station has been arrested by his colleagues from the station’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) on a provisional charge of manslaughter. The case concerned a resident of this coastal village, whom he had hit with his car on Thursday June 1 and failed to stop. Taslim Jahala succumbed to his injuries at the Hôpital du Nord on the evening of Friday June 23. A resident of Pointe aux Piments who had been arrested in connection with the case has now retracted his initial statement. He incriminated the policeman, Eshwarsingh Runjeet, 22, as being the perpetrator of the hit-and-run and that he had paid him the sum of Rs 10,000 to assume responsibility. In the wake of this investigation, the policeman’s brother, Pragunsingh Runjeet, a 27-year-old bus conductor, was also arrested on the morning of Friday June 30. A provisional charge of perverting the course of justice was brought against him in court on the same day.
The case dates to 6.50 p.m. on Thursday June 1, when Eshwarsingh Runjeet was on his way home when he collided head-on with Taslim Jahala, 46, who was on the edge of Route Royale in Trou aux Biches near the Mexico snack bar. He did not stop, leaving the victim lying on the asphalt, bleeding profusely. However, on Friday June 2, Jean Julien Descombes, a 37-year-old hotel maintenance worker from Pavillon, Cap Malheureux, went to the Trou aux Biches police station and confessed to the hit-and-run.
Placed in police custody, he was brought before the Pamplemousses court on Monday June 5 on a provisional charge of manslaughter and reckless assault. He was released on bail the same day. Having received disturbing information about the circumstances of this accident, on Tuesday June 13 the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chandan Ramkeelawon, the Divisional Commander of the Northern Division handed over the investigation to the Trou au Biches CID. On Monday June 26, Julien Descombes was summoned for further questioning. His statement was taken in the presence of his lawyer, Me Jeerakhan. The following day, he was brought before the Pamplemousses court on a provisional charge of manslaughter.
On Wednesday June 28, Julien Descombes made a request to retract his initial statements. He retracted his initial statements to explain that he had been approached by Constable Eshwarsingh Runjeet, to take responsibility for the accident. The Mitsubishi, registration 1867 AP 07, belongs to Constable Runjeet, who lives in Petite Raffray. Julien Descombes told investigators that he had already received a sum of Rs 10,000 for this purpose. He had been promised that the policeman would offer him the services of a lawyer and that he would also pay for his bail. The policeman will only have served two years on the force on Wednesday July 5. Julien Descombes says he has accepted the offer on payment.
The young policeman went to the Trou aux Biches CID office accompanied by lawyer Sharma Bandhu on Thursday June 29. The same day, he was identified by Julien Descombes as the person who had approached him to say that it was, he who was at the wheel of his car on the day of the accident. The policeman, who was taken into custody at Pamplemousses police station on Friday June 30, appeared in court the same day. He is facing a provisional charge of manslaughter.
His brother Pragunsingh Runjeet gave his statement on Saturday July 1. He denied the charges.
