Carapo liquor mart fire-bombed

NALINEE SEELAL

A MAN remains warded at hospital under police guard recovering from injuries suffered when he fire-bombed a Carapo liquor mart situated on the ground floor below the owner’s dwelling quarters.

According to police, at about 1.20 am on Wednesday, the man used a bottle filled with gasoline and capped with a piece of cloth which he set alight and then hurled at the Carapo Wholesale Store off the Main Road.

The flames rapidly spread and engulfed the entire ground floor, destroying the businessplace owned by Doodnath Jawahir.

Jawahir and members of his family were able to escape but the suspect who is in his 20s and who lives in Carapo was not so lucky as he suffered burns and was found by Jawahir’s neighbours who guarded him while the police were called in. When firemen arrived they set about preventing the flames from spreading to the top floor and also adjacent buildings.

Jawahir’s home was saved but sustained major water damage. Two Nissan Navara vans belonging to him were destroyed in the blaze.

The suspect was taken to the Arima District Hospital and later transferred to Port of Spain General Hospital where he remains warded.

Yesterday, Jawahir told Newsday he was at a loss as to why his businessplace was fire-bombed. Jawahir said he and his family were asleep when the fire was started and at the time, his main concern was to ensure his family got out safely.

“We are law-abiding citizens and as far as I can tell, we never had any run-ins with anyone. So I don’t know why we were targeted, but I am leaving everything in the hands of the police,” Jawahir said.