Sunil, taking the opportunity to post the entire article.
Thank You,
Dem_Guy
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Power, Corruption and Murder Roil Little Guyana
A gruesome crime in Guyana has threatened a tightly
knit immigrant community in Queens, pitting Hindu
against Muslim, rich against poor, and cousin against cousin.
The storefront of a boutique that sells religious artifacts in Richmond Hill, Queens. Credit Elias Williams for The New York Times
A man died in a village in eastern Guyana last year; that much is beyond dispute. Faiyaz Narinedatt, 26, a husband and father, was found dead by the side of a dusty road in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2016.
That night he had gone to a party hosted by a childhood acquaintance who had immigrated to Queens and recently come into money: Marcus Brian Jainarine Bisram. Three weeks later, the Guyanese police charged Mr. Bisram of ordering five associates to murder Mr. Narinedatt after he rejected Mr. Bisram’s sexual advances at the party.
By then, he could not be questioned because he had already returned to New York on Nov. 2. It was not until July 4, at the behest of the Guyanese government, that Mr. Bisram was arrested by United States marshals at his Rockaways beach house and jailed at the Manhattan Detention Center.
Last week, Judge Peggy Kuo of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York certified that Mr. Bisram should be extradited to Guyana.
The year since Mr. Narinedatt died has unraveled into a saga of bribery, corruption and social-media-fueled attacks, stretching from No. 70 Village in the South American nation of Guyana to the Guyanese community in New York. It has bitterly divided diaspora leaders in Richmond Hill, Queens, pitting Hindu priests, civic associations and relatives against one another.
Last weekend, thousands flooded the Richmond Hill streets to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Some community members supporting Mr. Bisram purposely stayed away in protest of the parade, which was run by a vocal critic of Mr. Bisram. Although Mr. Bisram is Hindu and the victim was Muslim, religion never seemed to be the divisive issue. It is about money, the two sides say.
“It has become something because of a person being rich and a person being poor,” said Lisa Khan, 32, a cousin of Mr. Narinedatt who lives in Queens. “Everyone used to get along perfectly fine before. Everyone used to be in the same crowd partying, having a religious function. Now, it’s who has money and power and who don’t.”
Along the route in Queens for the parade to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, on Oct. 14. Credit Elias Williams for The New York Times
=To be Continued=