The Gasparillo farmer who was charged for tying a woman with a rope and walking her along the road like an animal after he accused her of stealing his peppers has been freed.
Dubbed the “Ropeman” after the incident was captured on video and uploaded on Facebook, Sunil Ramcharan breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped out of the San Fernando courtroom yesterday after the case against him was dismissed.
“I am very happy this is over. I have never been before a court and in life I don’t ever want to go through this again,” said Ramcharan, 38.
Charged with assaulting Zaheeda Mohammed by tying her with a piece of rope on March 7 last year at Massy Lands, Gasparillo, Ramcharan had pleaded not guilty and was granted $15,000 surety bail and a cash alternative of $8,000.
Yesterday, however, the prosecution’s case against Ramcharan collapsed because Mohammed, the main witness, never came to court and attempts by the charging officer to find her has been unsuccessful.
Ramcharan was represented by attorney Shaun Teekasingh.
Since then the matter had been called several times and yesterday it was set for trial before Fourth Court Magistrate Margaret Alert.
Charging officer WPC Bassarath, however, took the witness stand and gave evidence about her several futile attempts to locate Mohammed. She said she went to Mohammed’s last known address at Massy Lands and found a vacant lot where her house used to be.
She said she had no contact number for Mohammed and there were no other people living in that area which was primarily used
for gardening.
Asked if given another opportunity she would be able to find Mohammed, she said she would not be able to. In answer to the magistrate, prosecutor Sgt Krishna Bedassie said he would not be able to continue with the matter without Mohammed’s evidence.
While he was happy that the matter was over, Ramcharan said he has been forced to abandoned his ten-acre pepper garden because of thieves.
Frustrated by the numerous times thieves raided his garden, Ramcharan said: “You cannot even get 100 peppers in that ten acres... too many thieves. I lose a lot of money. I leaving it (land) until I decide to plant on it again.”
Asked how he felt about the entire ordeal, he said it had been difficult. “I feel disturbed that people calling me “Ropeman” on the road,” he added.
Asked why he tied the rope to the woman’s waist, he said it was the “only thing I had to hold she with,” while he waited for the police to arrive.
Accompanied by his father Ramdeo Ramcharan, 76, and close friend, Shaheed Baksh, Ramcharan said he was ready to move on with his life.
Last February, Mohammed appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates Court charged with stealing $100 worth of melongene from a farmer at Massy Lands, Gasparillo. She was placed on a $3,000 bond to keep the peace for a year.
In default, she will serve 12 months’ hard labour.