Claim for Damages Against the State - Ricardo Désiré Samrandine: "I Suffered at the Hands of the Police"

Ricardo Désiré Samrandine, a resident of Résidences Vallijee, and his brother Mark Billy Samrandine are each claiming Rs 25 million in damages from the State. He claims he did not provoke the police who came to arrest him on March 24, 2020. The case was heard on Thursday, October 16, 2025, before Judge Patrick Kam Sing in the Supreme Court.

This incident occurred during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The two brothers accuse the police of abuse.

During his testimony, Ricardo Désiré Samrandine stated that on the morning of March 24, 2020, he heard curses in the street. When he went outside, he saw a police officer insulting everyone. "I told him to stop talking like that in front of the children," he recounted. According to him, the situation escalated at that moment. The police chased after him. After being restrained once, he managed to escape through a window. Seeing his brother being beaten, he raised his hands to surrender. After being taken to the Central Barracks, he claims he was beaten to the point of losing consciousness: "I suffered for four hours."

His brother, Mark Billy Guyard Samrandine, also provided a detailed account. "It was during COVID, we didn’t have the right to be outside on the street." On that day, he claims he was struck with truncheons when several police officers, including members of the Special Supporting Unit, entered their family home. "They threw me down, grabbing me by my arms like I was a wild animal," he continued. He recounts that he was beaten, dragged to a police vehicle, and then taken to the Central Barracks, where he allegedly faced further mistreatment. Both brothers state they did not resist. They cite videos that circulated on social media showing their arrests as evidence. They deny accusations that family members had thrown objects at the police. The hearing will continue at a later date before the Supreme Court.