Man fatally shot in boss' van while in traffic

THE latest in what has been a series of criminal acts against a San Fernando businessman and his family ended in murder, when an employee of the businessman was shot dead while in his car which was stuck in early afternoon traffic in San Fernando on May 27.

The victim, Salim Abdool, 21, of La Romain was employed by Shane Maharaj of SNM Motors Ltd. Maharaj is the son of Rabindranath Maharaj, owner of R&J Cell Tech. The family has been the target of criminals over the years, with three incidents taking place within the past two weeks.

Police said that around 1.20 pm, Abdool was driving Maharaj's white Toyota Hilux GR van which was caught in standstill traffic along the Golconda Connector Road, Union Hall, San Fernando near VMCOTT.

A vehicle approached the side of Maharaj's van and the occupants opened fire, hitting Abdool in the chest. Other motorists reported hearing three gunshots. Abdool lost control of the pick-up which crashed into a brand new, unlicensed Mercedes-Benz which was being driven by Shane Maharaj.

Cellphone video recordings uploaded to social media showed Maharaj opening the Hilux door shortly after the attack and holding his head in apparent panic. Abdool was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital via ambulance but died shortly after.

President of the Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce Kiran Singh extended condolences to Abdool's family. He questioned how criminals are gaining access to illegal firearms and called on national security authorities to give a timeline for installing CCTV cameras at traffic lights, which could help investigations into such incidents.

When Newsday reached out to Shane Maharaj, he immediately terminated the call. His father, Rabindranath, said the family was not willing to speak to the press at this time as police were conducting investigations.

Maharaj's sister Lisa, narrowly escaped death in a similar attack that happened exactly two weeks ago. She was driving her white Range Rover along the South Trunk Road in La Romain around 10 am on May 13, when a white Nissan B-14 rammed into the back of her SUV near Achievor's Banquet Hall.

A gunman jumped out of the passenger side of the B-14 and shot at the woman twice before going back into the car which sped off.

Following the May 13 incident, family members said that they had been targeted several times before, with a relative being kidnapped, two attempted kidnappings on another relative, and they and their businesses being robbed 14 times.

Following the May 13 attack, Assistant Commissioner of Police Wayne Mystar pledged to use every resource at the police's disposal to track down the suspects.

Newsday was unable to reach Mystar on May 27, for an update on investigations into the shooting of Lisa, and the murder of Abdool.

Adding to attacks against the family, Newsday understands that gunmen also opened fire on a vehicle belonging to the boyfriend of a member of the Maharaj family. This incident is said to have taken place on May 23. Checks with police late on May 27 revealed no arrests had been made into the murder of Abdool, whose body has since been taken to the Forensic Sciences Centre in St James for autopsy.