Sascha Wilson
Four years after he was charged with the murder of his neighbour, accused Aaron Balkaran has been granted $1 million bail.
High Court Judge Geoffrey Henderson fixed bail on Tuesday, following an application made by Balkaran’s attorney Kiran Panday.
During a virtual hearing of the San Fernando Supreme Court, Henderson imposed strict conditions to the bail and Balkaran was told that if he breaches any of them his bail could be revoked.
The conditions are that he relocates from his Princes Town home; that he resides at a new address at Barrackpore; have no contact with any of the witnesses and not visit any bars.
Balkaran, 29, a labourer, who lived at Gunness Circular, Princes Town at the time of the incident, is accused of murdering his neighbour, Roshan Ramdial, on April 18, 2018.
Ramdial, of Reserve Road, Princes Town, was at a neighbour’s house for a birthday when he got into a dispute with the accused.
It is alleged that the accused struck him on the side of the face with a rum bottle. Ramdial was subsequently warded at the San Fernando General Hospital, where he died.
Balkaran was later charged by Cpl Donny Bridgemohan of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region 3.
The State was represented by state attorney Anju Bhola during the application hearing.
In March, Joel King became the first person to be granted bail for murder in this country.
High Court Master Nalini Singh upheld Joel King’s bail application based on a recent Court of Appeal ruling on the constitutionality of precluding judicial officers from considering bail for people charged with murder.
King, also known as Joel “Catty” Grimes, who is accused of murdering Nkosi Harricharan at Hermitage Road in Belmont on April 15, 2014, was granted $1.5 million bail with a surety and was given a cash alternative of $750,000.
However, Singh applied 21 conditions for his bail including that he report to the police station, reside with his mother and not leave the house between 6 pm and 6 am unless it is for an emergency.
