Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 24/Oct 21:44

Dr Anand Chatoorgoon found in contempt of court

DIRECTOR of the Southwest Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), Dr Anand Chatoorgoon, has been found in contempt of court for failing to comply with a prior injunction relating to his late mother’s estate. He has been ordered by a High Court judge to serve seven days of simple imprisonment. The ruling, delivered by Justice Margaret Mohammed on October 21, concerns a property at 12 Jereton Avenue, Coconut Drive, San Fernando, owned by the late Indira Chatoorgoon, who died on November 27, 2022. Her daughter, Vitra Rampersad, serves as administratrix of her estate. In a September 2024 injunction, Dr Chatoorgoon was ordered to vacate the property by January 31 and to remove religious signs he had installed. Vitra Rampersad’s attorneys, Kingsley Walesby and Stephanie Rajkumar, presented evidence that Dr Chattergoon continued to occupy the premises, hold weekly “Satsang” gatherings, and maintain personal belongings there for months after the court-ordered deadline. Mohammed ruled that Chatoorgoon’s conduct amounted to a “deliberate, calculated, and intentional flouting” of the court’s order. She also determined that his claim of misunderstanding the injunction was “disingenuous,” noting that he was present with counsel when the order was made. “The defendant’s actions demonstrated that he knew and understood his obligations under the injunction order. The defendant is an anaesthesiologist who has served in the health sector from 1981 to 2016 at the San Fernando General Hospital. “He is a highly educated professional who, in my view, fully understood his obligations under the injunction order. “His obligation was to leave and cease his occupation and use of the subject property by January 31, 2025. “His visits to the subject property are not merely to check up on it, to maintain it or to ensure that it is secured. He has continued to use the subject property as he sees fit, and his actions demonstrate an intentional and deliberate flouting of the injunction order,” the judge wrote in her ruling. While the court initially imposed a seven-day prison term, the order was suspended by consent on specific conditions. Chatoorgoon must remove all personal and religious items from the property by October 31 and provide an inventory to the Rampersad’s attorney by November 3. He must also ensure that his sister, Mala Maharaj, removes a caveat filed in the estate by October 27. If these conditions are not met, the seven-day imprisonment will take effect on November 10. Chatoorgoon was also ordered to pay the costs of the contempt application filed on March 13. He was represented by Ernest Koylass, SC, and Debbie Roopchand. The post Dr Anand Chatoorgoon found in contempt of court appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.