Krishna Tulapersaud, a resident of Plegt Anker, East Bank Berbice, was acquitted and released from custody on Friday after a jury found him not guilty of sexual activity with a child.
Tulapersaud, who had previously spent eight years incarcerated, was released following a retrial at the Berbice High Court overseen by Justice Simone Morris.
Tulapersaud was originally convicted in 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the Court of Appeal later overturned that conviction and ordered a retrial. He faced two separate counts of sexual activity with a child family member, allegedly occurring in February 2013 and February 2014.
Represented by attorney Arudranauth Gossai, Tulapersaud pleaded not guilty to both indictments when the retrial commenced on June 10, 2026. The prosecution, led by State Counsel Marisa Edwards, presented six witnesses during the proceedings.
At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, Justice Morris upheld a no-case submission regarding the 2013 charge, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. The court directed the 12-member jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty on that count.
Regarding the second count, the jury deliberated and ultimately returned a verdict of not guilty. Following the acquittal on both charges, Tulapersaud was released from custody.
