An Adventure village, Essequibo Coast family was left without a home for Christmas, and all their plans for a grand celebration were turned into sorrow and sadness as the bread winner for their home drank a poisonous substance and died. Reports are that 45-year-old Naresh Singh, a labourer at the Suddie Hospital, committed suicide two days before Christmas after a heated argument with his wife over money missing from his salary.

The woman was looking forward to buying food, decorations and gifts for her children, and was not pleased when she discovered that part of her husband’s salary was missing. She therefore started a heated quarrel with her husband.

Reports are that Naresh had given his mother and daughter a part of the money for their Christmas, and had also bought them gifts, but that did not go down well his wife.

After the argument, the woman took her children and left the house. Seeing what was happening, and in a fit of anger, Naresh set his small wooden house on fire and then injested a quantity of poison. He died shortly after.

The body of the labourer was cremated on Tuesday [Boxing Day] on the La Union foreshore, as his wife, children, mother and other relatives wept openly for him. They never imagined that Christmas could have being so tragic for them.
(Rajendra Prabhulall)