Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall yesterday sent a letter to Commissioner of Police (ag.) Henry Greene requesting that an investigation be launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of 19-year-old Ramesh Sawh, who was found hanging in the Enmore Police Station lockups last week Thursday.
The lawyer is contending that Sawh’s relatives are of the view that the allegation by the police that Sawh committed suicide by hanging is lacking in credibility, and that little can be gathered from the surrounding circumstances which would tend to support this theory.
According to the letter, the Enmore lock-ups consist of two cells which are identical in terms of size, structure, and manner of construction and each consists of four walls, the floor and the ceiling, all of which are made of concrete.
“Neither cell has any exposed beam, ledge, rafter or any other structure, erection or appurtenance which can be used to facilitate a hanging,” the letter stated. 
Nandlall says that he is instructed that an individual, who is known to the Sawh family and who also resides at Enmore, claims to have been present at the Police Outpost when Ramesh Sawh was in the cell.
“He alleges that he witnessed the deceased being beaten by police officers; he further alleges that he heard the deceased screaming loudly and that a black plastic bag was pulled over the head of the deceased.”
Nandall also says that he is further instructed that the deceased never exhibited the slightest propensity of being suicidal, although he had numerous brushes with the law on previous occasions, which resulted in him being incarcerated in those very lock-ups for protracted periods of time.
In those circumstances, Nandlall requested that a comprehensive investigation be launched into the matter, and that an inquest be held as early as is reasonably possible.
The letter was also sent to the Minister of Home Affairs, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, the Commander of C Division, Cove and John, and the Guyana Human Rights Association.
A post mortem examination performed on Sawh’s body revealed that he died from asphyxiation due to strangulation.
The pathologist gave the cause of death as ‘asphyxiation due to compression in the neck due to hanging; no signs of beating.
Sawh, of Logwood, Enmore, was found hanging from the ceiling of the lockups. Reports are that the teen used pieces of his T-shirt to fashion a rope, which he used to hang himself. Police made the discovery at some time around 15:00 hours on Thursday, when they were escorting another man to the lockups.
Sawh’s body was immediately cut down and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Reports are that Sawh was arrested on Thursday last for questioning into the alleged theft of a car battery in the area.