Investigations continue into businessman’s kidnapping…Media should be responsible, lives at stake

Investigations continue into businessman’s kidnapping…Media should be responsible, lives at stake – Top Cop

Apr 08, 2014 News

– victim contacted wife yesterday

It’s been almost 72 hours since Foulis spare parts dealer, Rajendra Singh, called Sunil, was kidnapped from his business place and there appears to be still no deal made between the kidnappers and the victim’s relatives.

Rajendra Singh called “Sunil”

But newly appointed Commissioner of Police (acting) Seelall Persaud is cautioning media houses to be responsible in their reporting on the matter.
Speaking yesterday, Persaud said that kidnappings are sensitive in nature and he will have to engage members of the media to come up with a solution on how to address the issue.
Several media houses have published details of the kidnapping and the subsequent progress made by the police during their investigations.
There were also publications of what was communicated by the kidnappers to the victim’s wife.
“I don’t want to slow down the aggressiveness of the press but there must be some responsibility… A person’s life is at stake…kidnappers are reading the newspapers,” the Commissioner (ag) told Kaieteur News.
However, while up to late last night the businessman had not been released, family members were earlier assured that he was alive and well.
Sources close to the investigations told this newspaper that Singh was allowed to speak to his wife early yesterday morning.
Initially the kidnappers, who snatched Singh on Saturday night, were demanding a whopping $50M.
However, they dropped their demand to $25M on Sunday.
Investigators have so far not been able to narrow down their search to any particular area, although they did manage to locate the owner of a SIM card through which telephone contact was made with Singh’s relatives by the kidnappers.
On Saturday night, Singh, his wife Heema and two employees were about to close his business to go home when two men pretending to be purchasers of auto spares came up.
“The men come and ask fuh ‘Fat Man’,” the source said.
They then pulled out guns and held their victims at gunpoint. They took away an undisclosed amount of cash that the business had accumulated from the day’s sales, while assaulting the victims with their guns.

Commissioner of Police (ag) Seelall Persaud

The source said that the kidnappers appeared to be well aware of Singh’s activities since they questioned him about the whereabouts of his 13-year-old son. The teenager had left to go to a nearby barber.
The gunmen demanded the keys to Singh’s car and when it was handed to them by his wife, they bundled the businessman into the trunk and drove away with the vehicle, a Toyota Ist.
Singh’s wife later got help and tried to go after the kidnappers but the men had disappeared with the businessman and his car, which was later found abandoned at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara.