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By Matie Singh |
On December 22, 2001 Parasram Sanicharra, a Guyanese in his 50's, returning home from the grocery store saw two Verizon service technicians in his back yard. They were there for company related work and Sanicharra was looking at them working.
When asked why he was looking at them, Sanicharra responded, "I just want to see what you are doing."
Sanicharra followed them and watched them fixed the phone line. The Verizon employee then went back around to the front of the house and "Sanicharra followed them in," said Michael Gangadeen, attorney for the Sanicharra
"And this apparently irritated the Verizon employee," added Mr. Gangadeen.
Hence, a verbal exchange ensued in the kitchen.
"The Verizon employee held Sanicharra by his shoulders, pushed him out of the apartment, down the hallway and out the front door," Gangadeen continued.
Ganesh Sanicharra, Parasram's son, who observed the whole incident said Mr. Gangadeen.
"At that point the Verizon employee turned around and seeing Ganesh looking at him, let Parasram go. Ganesh felt that everything was ok and he turned around and started to walk back into the house," said Gangadeen. "A few moments later the Verizon employee showed up in the house. Mrs. Sanicharra then asked him 'Where is that man (Parasram)? Where did he go?' The Verizon employee stated that he 'threw him (Sanicharra) down the steps,'" continued Gangadeen.
Running out of the front of her apartment to the front of the house she found Sanicharra "laying at the bottom of the steps, bleeding profusely from the back of his head," added Mr. Gangadeen.
"In a semi conscious state, Parasram told his wife twice that 'the Verizon employee threw him down the step.'"
Accompanied by a second employee, the Verizon employee was overheard by Ganesh saying that "he did in fact throw him down the steps," where upon the second employee expressed disbelief and called up two supervisors to the scene. "The police were called to the home but for unknown reasons did not and have not arrested the Verizon employee," Gangadeen added.
Parasram, who was in a coma for over a week, suffered a fracture at the back of his head.
"He was on a breathing machine, he was in post-intensive care unit, and hooked up to all sorts of monitors," Gangadeen said. "He (Sanicharra) comes in and out of consciousness but doesn't have recollection of who anybody is...there appears to be significant brain damage that he suffered." Sanicharra, "now a vegetable," was the sole salary-earner in the family, with a daughter, who's not capable of taking care of herself.
"Doctors cannot determine what his prognosis will be, " said Mr. Gangadeen. "Only time will tell...He may be in a nursing home for the rest of his life and require 24 hours care."
Though Ganesh observed his father being pushed out of the house, no one actually observed the employee throw Sanicharra (Parasram) down the steps.
But Mr. Gangadeen said, "I think there is enough evidence here to make the arrest because he even admitted to it".
Aside from pursuing a civil case against Verizon, Gangadeen is currently pushing for a criminal investigation and an arrest.
"I am not sure why the Verizon employee was not arrested...he should be arrested," Gangadeen reiterated.
"He admitted to Mrs. Sanicharra that he 'threw Mr. Sanicharra down the steps.'"
Several unanswered called were placed to Verizon and detective John Magaldi (102 precinct), the police officer handling the case.
"From what I understand they (Verizon) are not giving any statement as to what took place," said Gangadeen.
"A strange thing though, is detective John Magaldi called my client and told my client that he will not speak to me on the phone but that he will speak to me face to face," Gangadeen continued. "After leaving several messages, Mr. Gangadeen said he was able to speak with the detective. The gist of their conversation was that "the police are refusing to make an arrest because they say there is no evidence to do so"
But Mr. Gangadeen also indicated that he has been invited by Detective Magaldi to go down to the precinct so he could be provided with details as to why the police cannot make an arrest.
"I plan to do so," said Mr. Gangadeen.
Mr. Gangadeen also stated, "based on my own investigation, there is ample evidence to bring criminal charges".
After meeting with the detective at the precinct he plans to gather the evidence and explore the possibility of taking it to the DA's office to press for criminal charges. But he does plan, also to go ahead with a civil suit.