Tag: Barrackpore

[UPDATED] Christmas Eve horror in Valsayn: Grandmother beaten to death

A VALSAYN family’s Christmas Eve preparations were transformed into a waking nightmare in the early hours of December 24, when a 68-year-old grandmother was brutally beaten to death, allegedly by a man she shared her home with.

The victim, Shaffina Hosein, of Nanan Street, Bamboo Settlement No 1, was discovered in a pool of blood after her 60-year-old companion reportedly confessed to the killing and subsequently attempted to take his own life by ingesting a poisonous substance.

The tragedy has left the tight-knit community in shock, coming at a time when families across the country were preparing for the Yuletide season. Instead of a festive morning, Hosein’s children were forced to identify her body and assist police with a homicide investigation.

A chilling confession

According to police reports, first responders arrived at the home around 12.49 am on December 24. They were met by Hosein’s 40-year-old daughter, a resident of McConney Street, Tacarigua.

The woman told officers she had been alerted by her sister, who claimed the suspect had knocked on her door in a state of agitation. The suspect, an employee of Xtra Foods Supermarket who had lived with Hosein for the past two years, allegedly told the daughter he had just killed her mother.

When police entered the house through an ajar wooden door on the eastern side of the property, they found a gruesome scene. Hosein was lying motionless on her back in a cream dress, which was soaked with blood. The suspect was found lying on the floor beside her body.

On being ordered to stand, the suspect reportedly made a spontaneous confession to the officers.

“She betrayed me: I can’t take that,” he allegedly told police. “I beat she with the bilna (rolling pin) and kill she. The messages on her phone with she and that man.”

Emergency Health Services (EHS) arrived shortly after, but Hosein showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead at the scene. While examining the suspect, paramedics noted he was vomiting and appeared physically distressed.

He admitted to drinking a poisonous substance in an apparent suicide attempt. He was rushed to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, where he remains under police guard.

She was full of life

When Newsday visited the quiet street around 11 am, the atmosphere was sombre. Hosein’s home was being fiercely guarded by her two loyal dogs, Fatty and Whitey.

A family member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described Hosein as a woman who defied her age. Despite being 68, relatives said she possessed a youthful energy that made her appear decades younger.

“She looked 20 or 30 years younger: she was very brisk for her age,” the relative said. “She was not some old, sickly woman. She was very self-reliant and full of life.”

The victim was a mother of five, four biological and one adopted, and a grandmother to at least six children. Residents noted since the passing of her husband, about four years earlier, Hosein had been the backbone of the household. Villagers said she continued to live there with one of her daughters before the suspect moved in two years ago.

A mother figure

Neighbours were equally devastated by the news. One man, who grew up in the area and viewed Hosein as a “mother figure,” said the village affectionately knew her as “Aunty Shaffina.”

“We grew up in front of her. She was an incredible person, quiet, humble, and always friendly. If she saw you, she would always stop to ask how you were doing. She was in such good spirits just days ago.”

He recalled seeing her on Sunday morning when she stopped to chat with his mother.

“She was happy. To find out a few minutes ago that she is gone… it is a shocker. It doesn’t feel real, especially today of all days.”

The neighbour used the tragedy to issue a plea to the public regarding domestic violence and the hidden tensions that can exist behind closed doors.

“Be very careful who you choose as your partner in life. It goes for both men and women. In today’s society, you never truly know who you are involved with until you are living in the same house. Everything might be well for a year, and then everything just changes.”

He urged those facing domestic issues to break their silence. “Protect yourself and always keep in contact with your family. If you have a problem, whether it’s domestic or not, please notify them. You don’t need to take this burden on your own. Confide in someone.”

A tragic discovery

Further down, another relative, who said she knew Hosein for 45 years, was cleaning sorrel as she prepared for Christmas Day. She described Hosein as a good, quiet person who kept to herself and did not meddle too much.

Confused by the presence of media and its questioning, she asked: “Why allyuh asking about her?”

When informed of the murder, the elderly woman became visibly distressed and had to be given several minutes to collect herself. She explained she had seen the flashing lights of the ambulance and police sirens earlier but assumed Hosein had suffered a medical emergency related to her diabetes.

The flashing lights at 1 am, she said, were “strange for Nanan Street.”

She said it was Hosein’s nephew who first noticed it but believed it to be diabetes-related.

“She has sugar (diabetes), so I tell myself the ambulance must be come for she because she might be sick,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know she died. I didn’t know someone would do that to her.”

The relative added Hosein would visit her faithfully every day after church.

“She would come and she’d talk: she was a good person. I never knew her to have a problem with anybody. She was friendly with everyone.”

Regarding the suspect, the relative admitted she had never met him despite the two-year relationship.

Asked if there had been any warning signs of domestic strife, she said no one ever heard shouting from the house in the back.

“She was quiet but friendly. You barely knew people were in the back there.”

The woman lamented how Hosein had lived elsewhere for a time before returning, saying she fixed the house up herself “brick by brick, little by little.”

“If she saw a neighbour, she’d cross the yard to say hello. If she noticed someone struggling, she’d stop to ask if they were all right.”

The woman echoed the sentiments of others that Hosein was self-reliant but stressed, “No one knew if there was anything wrong behind closed doors.”

This story was originally published with the title “Valsayn woman, 68, killed by boyfriend” and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

A 68-year-old Valsayn woman was beaten to death on Christmas Eve by her lover, 60, after he went through her cellphone. The suspect then attempted to take his own life by ingesting a poisonous substance.

The deceased has been identified as Shaffina Hosein Madoo. Reports say the incident occurred around 12.49 am on December 24.

First responders arrived at the family home on Nanan Street, Bamboo #1, Valsayn. There, they met the victim’s daughter, who told officers she had been alerted to the incident by her sister.

The sister reportedly told relatives her mother’s boyfriend of two years came to her door earlier that night and confessed to killing Madoo before claiming he had “drunk poison.”

When officers entered the home, they found Madoo’s body lying on her back. The suspect, a resident of Barrackpore, was found lying on the ground next to the body.

Three arrested after Penal shooting

SWIFT action by South Western Division police led to the arrest of two Beetham Gardens men and a Barrackpore man who are suspected of shooting at a Penal man on the afternoon of December 6.

The Mohess Road man told police he was awakened around 1 pm by his dogs barking. Looking out a peep-hole in his door, he saw three men standing in his front yard. He then banged on the glass of his door with his hand, scaring the men off.

He jumped into his car and chased after the men, one of whom turned around and opened fire at him near the Matura Development Bridge while trying to hide behind a galvanised fence.

Police said officers received information that the men jumped into a white Kia Optima. Cpl Loubon and PC Ramsingh of the South Western Division Task Force responded and saw the car driving along Mohess Road Penal, in the opposite direction of the officers’ marked police vehicle.

On seeing the officers, the suspects reportedly turned around and sped off, attempting to evade the police. The officers chased the car and intercepted it near the recreation ground at Lalbeharry Trace, assisted by other police officers.

The men were arrested and swabbed for gunshot residue.

The Beetham Gardens suspects are 28 and 37, while the suspect from Papourie Road, Barrackpore is 26. All three remain in custody. Crime scene investigators retrieved two live and two spent nine-millimetre rounds in the car.

[UPDATED] Barrackpore coconut vendor gunned down

BARRACKPORE coconut vendor Michael Seeraj, 34, was gunned down on October 23 while dumping a load of shells with one of his workers.

The man told police he went with Seeraj to Project Road, Ramsabad Trace, Rochard Road, Barrackpore, around 7.35 pm to dump the coconut shells, a spot relatives said he would always use. The man told police he heard several gunshots and ran away.

Officers of the Barrackpore Police Station visited the scene, where they found Seeraj unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. He was pronounced dead by a district medical officer. An autopsy was ordered.

Investigators recovered $2,300 in Seeraj’s pocket.

Sitting at her Manohar Trace home surrounded by family, Seeraj’s wife, Resha Ramdeo, 36, was still processing the news. Their six-year-old daughter was playing with her younger cousin, too young to comprehend the magnitude of the loss.

“When I heard about that, I just started crying because I didn’t expect something like that to happen,” she said.

They had been together for the last 15 years, and though they separated five months ago, they still kept in contact. Their daughter, she said, was the light of his life.

“He drop money Divali to buy clothes, to buy firecrackers,” Ramdeo’s sister Kamla Ramsaroop, 35, said.

She said he would call or visit almost every day to see her, the last time being on October 22 when he brought her some ice cream.

Focused on building a home nearby in Pancham Trace for his family, Seeraj turned to selling coconuts in Gulf View near Better Value when he lost his scrap-iron job due to a shutdown of the industry in August 2022.

Ramdeo said she could not think of a reason why someone would want to kill her husband.

“He real hardworking. He does go pick he coconut, go sell, he does come back, dump he rubbish and then load up back for the other day.”

She said she had no knowledge of him being threatened or having any altercations.

Similarly, Pancham Trace residents told Newsday that Seeraj was a quiet man who kept to himself.

A motive has not yet been established. Homicide Region Three is continuing enquiries. Ramdeo said the autopsy is expected to be done early next week, after which they will hold the funeral.

This story has been updated to include additional details. See original post below.

A Barrackpore coconut vendor was gunned down on Thursday night while dumping a load of shells with one of his workers.

A worker visited the Barrackpore Police Station around 8.10 pm, on October 23, and told the police that he had gone with Michael Seeraj, 34, to Project Road, Ramsabad Trace, Rochard Road, Barrackpore, around 7.35 pm to dump the coconut shells. However, he heard several gunshots, causing him to run away.

Officers visited the scene, where they found Seeraj with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. They were unable to find any signs of life. He was pronounced dead by a district medical officer. An autopsy was ordered.

Investigators recovered $2,300 in Seeraj’s pocket. A motive has not yet been established. Homicide Region Three is continuing enquiries.

7 arrested in South Division

SEVEN people were arrested for a range of offences as officers of the Southern Division conducted anti-crime and road policing exercises over the weekend.

A release from the police service said the operations were executed by units from the Princes Town, Marabella, and Barrackpore police stations, aimed at suppressing violent crime, targeting known drug blocks, enhancing road safety, and maintaining public order.

The seven included arrests for possession of cocaine, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, malicious damage, and possession of apparatus. A 21-year-old man was held for possession of cocaine and resisting arrest by PC Saunders, while a woman, 20, of Fairfield Estate, Princes Town, was held for possession of cocaine.

A 63-year-old man of Garth Road, Princes Town, was held for possession of cocaine and apparatus and a 40-year-old man of Contention Road, Indian Walk, for disorderly behaviour

and resisting arrest, while a 58-year-old man, of Marabella was held with cocaine. A 44-year-old man of Battoo Avenue, Marabella, was arrested for malicious damage and also held with cocaine was a 64-year-old man of Wilson Road, Penal.

2 Barrackpore women, 2 men held for several offences

FOUR people, including two women, have been arrested and charged in connection with a report of burglary which occurred in Barrackpore on September 13.

The women, aged 29 and 35, both from Monoorhar Maharaj Trace, Barrackpore, as well as a 28-year-old man from Hassanali Trace, Lower Barrackpore, and a 31-year-old man from Reform Development, Gasparillo, were expected to face a master in the South Criminal Court on September 22.

According to the police, the two victims were asleep at their home at South Oropouche Trace and were awakened by loud noises.

On checking, they observed two men climbing through a window on the western side of the house.

The suspects tied up the victims and robbed them of several items, including cash, US$2,200, $4,500 and diamond jewellery.

The suspects also stole about $10,000 worth of Digicel phone cards, an iPhone 12 valued at $4,000, and a purse valued at $100, which contained a bank card, an ID Card and a driver’s permit.

The suspect also stole two passports and a gold Mazda 3 car.

The suspects left in the stolen car in an unknown direction.

The police were alerted, and investigations were launched.

PC Seecharan and other officers searched the homes of three of the suspects and allegedly received several items of evidential value.The four suspects were jointly charged with burglary, two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of robbery with violence and larceny of a motor vehicle.

Additionally, the 29-year-old woman was charged with the possession of stolen items.

Penal man on 17 robbery-related charges

A 25-year-old man from Penal has been charged with 17 offences which arose from a robbery in July in the Barrackpore district.

He is scheduled to appear before a High Court Master in San Fernando on September 2.

A media statement on September 2 said the police arrested him on August 31, in connection with the robbery which took place on July 28.

It said the victims, two brothers and their families, were at their separate homes on the same compound in Barrackpore, when six men, five with guns, attacked them.

The victims reported that they were beaten with guns, their homes ransacked, family members assaulted, and three cellphones stolen.

The suspects fled the scene in one of the victim’s black Nissan Pulsar car.

On the instructions from Insp Sookdeo and ASP Morales, acting Cpl Lee Lum charged the suspect with three counts of burglary, three counts of robbery with violence, two counts of larceny motor vehicle, one count of larceny, five counts of false imprisonment, one count of interfering with a motor vehicle, one count of malicious damage to a motor vehicle and one count of kidnapping.

3 Venezuelans held for Barrackpore home invasion

THREE Venezuelan men are in police custody after a home invasion and robbery in Barrackpore on the night of August 25.

Police investigators said the suspects are a 25 year old from Barrackpore, and two men, 19 and 26, from Lachoos Road, Penal.

Around 8 pm, the victim, who is also a Venezuelan, was sitting outside his home with his wife.

Reports are that four men, one with a gun and another with a cutlass, dressed in dark clothing, approached them.

Police said the Spanish-speaking men, described as slim-built, were wearing black caps and no masks.

The suspects forced the couple inside their home, tied them up in the bedroom, and demanded cash.

The bandits made off with $15,000 after ransacking the house.

The victim later managed to free himself, called the police via 999, and ran along the road to seek help.

Among the first responders were acting Cpl Balgar and PC Daniel Pierre of the Debe police post.

While driving along Wellington Road, the officers spotted four men who matched the descriptions of the suspects.

As the officers approached, one man ran off near the TTPost Mailing Centre.

The officers arrested the remaining three men.

Police searched the suspects and found almost $11,000 in $100 bills on the 19 year old.

Nothing illegal was found on the other two.

The male victim later arrived on the scene, shouting in Spanish and gesturing.

He told the police that the three men had just robbed him.

Also visiting the scene were acting Sgt Seecharan and Sgt Sukram, as well as PCs Ali and Boodram.

Barrackpore police are continuing enquiries.

Penal Debe corporation trains volunteers in disaster response

THE Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) continues to build its disaster resilience through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programme.

Since 2018, the municipal corporation has trained and added volunteers to its emergency response framework, according to Videsh Lal, co-ordinator of the PDRC disaster management unit (DMU). About 350 have been trained in critical skills such as search and rescue, fire suppression and basic first aid.

“CERT is really a community training programme in which we have recognised that within the first 48 hours (of a disaster) people would more or less be alone before first responders arrive.”

He added: “The first responders will become inundated with calls, communication routes via the roads will be blocked, power lines, fallen trees, so we are really trying (to get) people to be prepared for these 48 hours until the official help comes.”

With this knowledge, he said, volunteers would be able to help themselves and their communities in times of crisis.

On August 7, some 70 of its latest trainees participated in a real-world simulation of a disaster at the Francis Seepaul Recreation Ground, Debe, putting the knowledge amassed during the 40-hour programme to the test. The simulation featured downed trees, fires, floods via a water truck and a host of medical emergencies.

Lal said attendees came from areas across the municipality like Wellington Gardens, La Romaine, Barrackpore and Penal Rock Road.

According to its website, about 60 per cent of its municipality falls within the Oropouche watershed, and almost 90 per cent is rural areas. It is especially susceptible to flooding. Lal said the additional manpower through the CERT programme helps to bolster response as the DMU has fewer than ten staffers at any given point in time. He noted that the entire municipal corporation staff are redirected to emergency response when a disaster arises, but the additional bodies will help.

“This really helps to build capacity in the region. It helps people to help themselves and their DMU and by extension their community to be more resilient, and if not, to at least if not help other people, to help themselves when a disaster happens.”

He said the programme has helped increase individual awareness among residents on the importance of being prepared for such disasters.

Among the cadre participating in the simulation on August 5 was an aspiring accountant Bibi Khadija Ali, 17, of St Mary’s, Moruga. She said she enrolled in the CERT training with the encouragement of her parents, especially as her community typically floods.

“It’s a good training to encourage yourself with as a youth and to encourage other youths in my community.”

She said she particularly enjoyed and appreciated the basic first aid training.

“It was a really great experience. I would encourage a lot of young people to get involved in these things because it would help develop you as a person.”

Tally Mohammed, 61, of Wellington Gardens, said he was previously CERT trained but joined the current tranche to refresh his skills.

“I have a passion for helping people. Based on that I’ve made the decision to continue to be part of it.”

He added: “I would encourage everybody to go ahead and be a part of this and be a part of the training so that we can provide that kind of support in the community for those who are vulnerable to disasters.”

The Ministry of Housing, the Sustainable Climate Resilience Initiative, the TT Red Cross Society and the Fire Service were all part of the training with the PDRC.

Barrackpore women tied up, beaten in home invasion

TWO Barrackpore women, aged 52 and 22, were tied up and beaten by blade-wielding assailants in a home invasion on August 5.

Reports said three men entered the home and announced a robbery and demanded jewellery. They tied the 52-year-old with duct tape and forced her head down on the bedroom floor and struck her several times in the head before ransacking the room.

The bandits then went upstairs, where the 22-year-old was in her bedroom. They also tied her feet, hands and covered her mouth with duct tape before beating her and forcing her onto the bed. They demanded jewellery and began ransacking the room.

They then escaped in a white Nissan Tiida, taking with them two cellphones, $100, a wallet with US$600, two LPG gas tanks and several packets of cigarettes.

Police were unable to find the assailants but are following certain leads.

WASA execs, ministers tour planned projects in Barrackpore

MINISTER of Public Utilities Barry Padarath toured the Picton 1 Estate Management & Business Development Company Ltd (EMBD) Development at Papourie Road, Monkey Town, Barrackpore on August 3 to view the progress of the housing initiative for former Caroni (1975) Ltd workers, where the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is expected to provide initial water connections for 200 lots, a statement from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) said on August 3.

The visit is the seventh stop on the “WASA Executive Evolution Team Tour” which evaluates projects aimed at improving water reliability in high-priority areas.

Attendees at the site visit included Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Saddam Hosein, WASA chairman Roshan Babwah, acting CEO Jeevan Joseph, T&TEC chairman Anil Kamal, Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Gowtam Maharaj and councillors Mohanie Ramnarine, Nicholas Kanhai and Sheldon Lal.

WASA said the site was already equipped with basic infrastructure such as roads and electricity. It added that Padarath commended Hosein for his leadership in advancing the project and praised WASA, T&TEC and other key state agencies for the role they played in bringing the project back to life as it had been stagnant since 2002.

WASA officials then went to the Darren Ganga Recreation Ground in Barrackpore for the launch of the GP Road Pipeline project, which would entail the installation of a 6.8 km 12 inch pipeline which will run from GP Road/New Colonial Road, to Rochard Douglas Road/Cunjal Road.

The project is expected to be completed in three months and will upgrade the water supply for more than 3,000 people in GP Road, Rees Road, Kansammy Trace, Oropouche River Road and Richard Douglas Road. WASA said the upgrade would improve service from once every 14 days to three days a week.

WASA and the delegation then went to the Clarke Rochard Recreation Ground where a new 20,000-gallon centralised water storage terminal is expected to be constructed.

WASA said the facility would enhance water distribution efficiency, enabling faster trucking response times and providing critical emergency reserves for the community.

Similar terminals will be established in other parts of the country to supplement pipe-borne water supply in underserved areas, the release said.

No arrests yet in Barrackpore pensioner’s murder

Sources from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, have confirmed that no one is currently in custody in connection with the stabbing death of a 75-year-old pensioner, whose decomposing body was found at his home in Barrackpore last month.

On August 2, police said the investigation remains active, but no one has been detained.

On the afternoon of July 20, the body of Nardeo Bachan was discovered on a bed at his home on New Colonial Road. There were no signs of forced entry.

A few days later, an autopsy performed at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, revealed that he died from multiple stab wounds. Investigators from the homicide bureau were subsequently notified.

Bachan was last seen alive on the night of July 17, riding his bicycle.

A relative who lives nearby noticed a foul odour coming from the house. When he looked through a window, he saw the body inside.

Barrackpore police were immediately notified.

4 minors held for sex offences in SoE raid in Barrackpore

FOUR minors, including a 14-year-old student, have been detained in connection with reports of a grievous sexual assault and burglary in the Barrackpore district.

The other minors, aged 15, 16, and 17, are also being questioned about the same offences as well as for possession of ammunition.

They were among seven people arrested during a targeted, intelligence-led anti-crime operation that took place on the morning of August 2.

Three adults were also held, including a 30-year-old man, on enquiries into a report of a burglary.

A 42-year-old man is expected to be charged with the possession of ammunition, while a 45-year-old man is expected to be charged with possession of ammunition and a gun.

A police statement issued hours after the operation said the arrests and ammunition seizure came as officers intensified efforts to curb a recent spike in serious crimes in the area.

The operation took place between 3 am and 10 am, under the state of emergency regulations.

According to the statement, officers specifically targeted people connected to recent reports of home invasions, burglary and grievous sexual assault in Barrackpore and environs.

Snr Supt Garvin Simon, Supt Jaikaran and Insp Ragbir co-ordinated the operation, which Sgt Ramdial, Teeluck, and Seecharan led.

It included officers from the Barrackpore Police Station, St Mary’s Police Post, Princes Town CID, Southern Division Task Force, San Fernando Operations Team, and the Guard and Emergency Branch.

Police said they recovered a magazine containing three rounds of 9mm ammunition and two spent shell casings.

Preliminary information suggests that five of the suspects were directly linked to a series of home invasions and sexual assaults reported in the Cumuto South Trace area in Barrackpore.

The police service said it remains committed to disrupting criminal networks and restoring safety to affected communities.

Investigations are ongoing.

Venezuelan, 23, drowns in Barrackpore pond

A suspected drowning at a pond in Barrackpore on the afternoon of July 7 has claimed the life of a 23-year-old Venezuelan.

The police identified the victim as Zeiller Emerson Gonzales, 23, who lived at GP Road, Barrackpore.

The tragedy happened around 3.30 pm at Surprise Trace, where Gonzales, together with two other Venezuelans, 20 and 23, and a 46-year-old local man, were cleaning a pond.

Gonzales suddenly got into difficulty and submerged underwater.

The others attempted to rescue him but were unsuccessful.

Emergency services, including the police, fire and Coast Guard were notified

The NGO Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HSRT), led by Vallence Rambharat, was also alerted. Using a rope, the team managed to retrieve the body from the pond.

On July 8, via Facebook, HRST offered condolences to the family.

Part of the post said, “We extend our commiserations to his family, friends and loved ones. We thank Insp Mohammed and Sgt Rosan of the Barrackpore Police Station for their professionalism in executing this mission.

“We thank our teammates who responded immediately and used our specially designed equipment for the retrieval.”

The body was taken to the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital pending an autopsy.

The investigation is ongoing.

Construction worker gunned down on Penal jobsite

A construction worker was gunned down at a jobsite in Penal on July 1. The victim has been identified only as Ganesh.

Initial reports said that around 11.15 am, he was mixing concrete on the roadside at Chittar Trace, off Mohess Road, Penal, in the Barrackpore police district, when the incident occurred.

A black Hilux van reportedly pulled up and stopped. A man got out and fired two shots, hitting Ganesh, who fell to the ground and died. The suspect then left the scene.

Police from the Southern Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three — including Supt Persad and Insps Ragbir and Wilkinson — responded.

Crime scene investigator WPC Nysus and other officers also visited. There were no reports of other injuries. No one has been arrested and the investigation is ongoing.

Barrackpore man, 62, beaten, woman tied up in home invasion

Barrackpore police are searching for three slim-built criminals who beat a 62-year-old male retiree with a gun in a home invasion in Barrackpore over the weekend.

A 47-year-old female relative was not beaten during the ordeal.

However, the intruders tied her up as well as the retiree at the family’s house at GP Road, Barrackpore, on June 29 around 8 pm.

According to reports, three masked men, one with a gun, entered the house and attacked the man who was in the kitchen area. He cried out, and the relative, who was in another part of the house, rushed to help but was confronted by the intruders.

The attackers forced both victims into a bedroom, where they tied their hands and feet with a bed sheet.

The intruders escaped with $1,100 in cash, a quantity of gold jewellery, and two cell phones with a combined value of $2,500.

They also fled in a white Nissan AD wagon, valued at $39,000, which was parked in the yard.

Both victims managed to untie themselves and reported it to Barrackpore police.

Cpl Mohammed and PC Harricharan were among the first responders.

The suspects remain at large, and the investigation is ongoing.

All three suspects are described as being slim-built. They wore long-sleeved dark-coloured sweaters with long dark coloured pants.

PC Patterson is leading the investigations.

Union head: Shot prison officer in stable condition

PRISON Officers’ Association president Gerard Gordon is calling on prison officers to remain vigilant as wounded officer, 38-year-old Govindra Balgobin continues to recover after he was shot on June 20.

“He is stable and receiving the necessary medical care and attention. We remain hopeful and prayerful for his full and speedy recovery. Let us all continue to keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers,” Gordon said in a message circulated on social media.

“These are indeed some of the most challenging times our service has ever faced. The threats are real, the risks are high, but so too is our resolve.”

Balgobin, of Barrackpore was ambushed by gunmen and shot while returning home after completing a shift at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.

A police statement said Balgobin was in his car near the Piarco intersection at about 8 pm when gunmen approached and shot him several times. The men fled in a wagon along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, but their car crashed into a pole injuring the occupants.

Police recovered a gun from the vehicle.

Family: Malini’s soul can’t rest – DNA tests delay state’s release of murdered teen’s body

RELATIVES of an autistic teen found dead seven weeks ago continue to have their hopes of closure delayed as her body is yet to be released to them by the state. However, the Minister of Justice said a report should be released soon.

Malini Persad, 15, went missing from her on April 13. Her decomposing body was found on April 17 in a forested area off KPA Road in Barrackpore by officers of the Southern Division and members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team.

Her father, Andrew, said the delayed DNA test results continue to hinder their ability to put the tragedy behind them.

“That’s what’s been taking the toll. You know, the longer it’s prolonged, the longer it’s taking us to say our goodbye.

“When you put something at rest, at least you know that you did the right thing in terms of religious-wise. You have all these rituals to do at every time.. ‘The soul is not resting until you put that soul to rest.'”

He said the saying stayed at the back of their minds as they tried to move on with their lives and makes it feel as though Malini’s soul is still in limbo around them.

He said his wife, Leela, was taking the loss particularly hard, having episodes of grief almost daily.

“The mother does miss her daughter. I does try to tell her ‘You can’t mope whole day, we have to accept reality,’ but she, like she can’t get it out of her system.”

He said, unlike his wife, he worked and used the eight-hour shift as a way to distract himself from thinking about his loss.

“It’s like when I come to work, I set my mind like ‘Aye, I in work, family is after for when I reach home. So that’s how I try to deal with it.”

His other daughter, Sunita, shared a room with Malini. Persad said Malini’s side of the room was neatened but her bed and other personal items remained.

He was worried about Sunita’s ability to concentrate on the CSEC examinations which she sat just weeks after the tragedy unfolded but told her to just do the best she could under the circumstances.

Desperate to get his daughter’s body back, Persad said he reached out to his MP Dr Narendra Roopnarine for help. He said Dr Roopnarine told him he should get an update by June 13.

When contacted, Dr Roopnarine confirmed he spoke to Persad but said, given the legal nature of the matter, he preferred not to comment at the time.

Optimistic about his conversation with the MP, Persad said the family had once again put the necessary arrangements in place and was on standby for a funeral, recently compiling all photos of her on a flash drive for a slideshow.

On May 22, Persad made a public call in a Newsday article for the Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander and Minister of Justice Devesh Maharaj to have the DNA testing expedited.

Newsday was unable to reach Alexander. In a WhatsApp message, Maharaj told Newsday DNA and toxicology services were fully functional at the Forensic Sciences Centre. He said officials at the centre told him the results should be forthcoming by June 17.

Senior Homicide Bureau of Investigations officials told Newsday the body was in an advanced state of decomposition which was why a DNA test was necessary to confirm it belonged to Persad. The family, however, was confident that it was their loved one because of the clothing on the body.

Post-mortem investigations have been riddled with delays since the body was found.

Persad told Newsday the family submitted a DNA sample to investigators on April 18 and were told the autopsy was expected to be done on April 22 after the Easter long weekend.

He said it was pushed back to April 24 and then once more to April 28.

He said it was eventually done and the family was informed on April 29 that the DNA results were expected within three weeks (around May 16).

Police arrested a suspect, Vinod Kotai, 52, of Mussarap Trace, off Rochard Douglas Road after the body was discovered. Kotai was allegedly seen walking with Malini on CCTV footage before she went missing. According to media reports, Kotia confessed to killing her before dying by suicide while in police custody.

(With reporting by Enrique Rupert)

NiQuan explosion victim’s sister: We have lost so much

THE sister of deceased pipefitter Allanlane Ramkissoon says her family is still reeling from his tragic death and welcomes last week’s High Court ruling that a government investigative report into the fatal NiQuan Energy plant explosion in Pointe-a-Pierre should have been disclosed.

“This is long overdue. His death was tragic, something we were not prepared for. He left a void,” said Ruthlane Ramkissoon-Gobin told Newsday on June 9.

“We are still healing, and it is painful. We have lost so much. When it happened, we asked for the report but did not get any answers. Whatever the findings are, it will bring closure and justice to our family.”

Ramkissoon, 35, a plant fitter with Massy Energy Engineered Solutions Ltd (MEES), died on Father’s Day — June 18, 2023 — after suffering severe burns from an explosion at NiQuan Energy’s gas-to-liquids plant in Pointe-a-Pierre three days earlier.

The Barrackpore resident was flown to Colombia for treatment but succumbed to his injuries.

“Thank God my parents are strong believers, God-fearing people. My brother died on Father’s Day. I know it will be tough for our dad (Danny Ramkissoon) on Father’s Day,” Ramkissoon-Gobin said.

“God has carried us through — our family only came through because of our faith.”

Ramkissoon’s widow, Sarah Ramkissoon, had filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the ministry’s investigative report into the incident. The ministry denied the request.

However, on June 6, High Court judge Justice Avason Quinlan-Williams ruled that the refusal was unlawful, deeming the disclosure of the report a matter of public interest.

Attorneys Anand Ramlogan, SC, Kent Samlal, Jared Jagroo, Natasha Bisram, and Aasha Samlal represented the widow.

The ministry was represented by Russell Martineau, SC, Laura Persad, and Jinai Chong Sing.

Ramkissoon-Gobin highlighted that the family has endured a wave of grief in recent years.

Ruthlane recalled that a brother who died in infancy, their grandmother in July 2021, a sister in August 2021 due to covid and an aunt in 2022. Ramkissoon, she said, was still mourning those losses when he died.

“It is as if we cannot get a chance to grieve,” she said.

The ministry, under then-minister Stuart Young, SC, withheld the report, citing legal advice and the lack of consent from NiQuan.

On June 7, Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal criticised Young’s handling of the matter, saying he was “shocked by the shameful abuse of power” by his predecessor.

Young defended the decision on June 8, saying the ministry had acted on the advice of independent state attorneys and senior counsel.

Ten arrested in southern Trinidad

TEN people were arrested in separate incidents across south Trinidad over the long weekend for various offences.

A release from the police service said an early-morning anti-crime exercise in the Fyzabad district, on May 30, resulted in three people being arrested and a quantity of illegal drugs seized.

Police said a 43-year-old man of Delhi Road, Fyzabad was held for four outstanding affiliation warrants, a 29-year-old man of Mon Desir, Delhi Road was held for one outstanding FI warrant and a 25-year-old man of Archibald Street, Delhi Road was held for possession of 74.5 grammes of marijuana.

Additionally, officers went to a bushy, overgrown area near Sewlal Trace Extension, Fyzabad where they found and seized a handgun, 11 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition and 450 grammes of marijuana in three clear plastic bags hidden under a mango tree around Oil Well 1774. No arrests were made.

The exercise was conducted between 5 am and 11 am under the supervision of Insp Gosine, Sgts Ganesh and Haynes, and involved officers from the CID, the South Western Division Task Force (SWDTF), as well as officers from the Fyzabad, Oropouche, and Santa Flora police stations.

Another six people were arrested during an early-morning exercise on May 31. This was led by Snr Supt Simon and co-ordinated by ASP Ramsaran, Insp Wilkinson, Sgt Steele and Sgt Phoolchan. It was supervised by Cpl Mitchell and included officers from the Southern Division Task Force (SDTF) and the K9 Unit.

A male suspect from Augustine Village, Rio Claro was held for possession of 67 grammes of marijuana, a 22-year-old man of Lengua Road, Princes Town was found with 65 grammes of marijuana, a Lady Hailes Avenue, San Fernando man, 33, was found with an illegal weapon, and three people including two men aged 25, 35, and a 22-year-old woman all of Papourie Road, Barrackpore were held for possession of 12 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking as well as ten rounds of ammunition comprising eight rounds of nine millimetre calibre and two rounds of .38 calibre.

The officers later went to an abandoned camp along Cedar Hill Estate Road, Princes Town where they discovered a wooden and metal home-made shotgun with a hammer and trigger mechanism, along with three rounds of 16-gauge ammunition. No arrests were made in connection with this find and investigations are ongoing.

$200,000 stolen from under teacher’s mattress

TABLELAND police are investigating the theft of more than $200,000 from beneath a teacher’s mattress.

The 43-year-old teacher locked all the doors and windows in her home on Sisters Road, before leaving around 7.25 am on April 30.

She returned around 12.30 pm and saw the house had been ransacked.

The woman then saw the burglar proofing on two windows had been tampered with and both windows open.

She went to her bedroom and realised that $230,000 which was hidden beneath her mattress was missing.

Her CCTV system was also stolen along with a titanium watch valued US$1,500, an Apple iPad worth $6,000, and a PlayStation 5 valued $7,500.

Police say they found evidence at the scene to help their investigation.

Meanwhile, police in Barrackpore are searching for the person who stole electronic equipment from the Saraswatee Prakash Mandir.

A member of the mandir left the building at around 10 am on April 28, and returned on April 30, at around 5 pm.

She saw one of the temple’s windows open and a garbage bag with grocery items outside the door.

After checking she noticed extension cords, 12 microphones, and a speaker box were missing, while a studio light, music mixer and donation box were found in a grassy area nearby.

WPC Mohammed has been assigned to the case.