Pooja for dead father

DEOCHAN Ramdhanie, a convicted drug dealer who is serving a life imprisonment sentence, was taken by prison officers and policemen to the Dass Funeral Home in Chaguanas where in handcuffs he performed Aarti (a Hindu funeral ritual) on the body of his dead father Mantoor Ramdhanie.

Police sources described the event as unprecedented in recent memory. Ramdhanie, through his lawyers, had petitioned the Prison Authorities and was eventually granted permission to be taken from Maximum Security Prison (MSP) in Arouca, for about two hours yesterday, to view his father’s body. Ramdhanie, dressed  in a  black tuxedo suit, arrived at the funeral home around 2.30 pm and spent about 30 minutes with his dead father. At all times, during the viewing of his father’s body, Ramdhanie was handcuffed and closely watched by a strong contingent of  police and prison officers. Police sources told Newsday, that while Ramdhanie was performing Aarti, he broke down in tears. Mantoor Ramdhanie, who like his son, was convicted on drug charges and jailed for life, died a week ago in prison. When Newsday arrived at the funeral home, stern-faced prison officers ordered the front gate to the building closed and locked. Attempts to get permission to view Ramdhanie’s performing of the Aarti, were futile.

Mantoor, 59, of  Icacos Village,  was sentenced to life imprisonment  in 1998 by High Court  Judge Stanley John, died  at the Frederick Street, State Prison after suffering complications from diabetes. His body was released by Prison Authorities on Monday to the Ramdhanie family, after lawyers petitioned for the right to perform Hindu funeral rites on the body. The elder Ramdhanie will be cremated today following a funeral service. When father and son were sentenced to life imprisonment, the state confiscated $3.3 million in assets belonging to the Ramdhanies. Attorneys from Lincoln Chambers, Port-of-Spain, unsuccessfully petitioned the Prison Authorities and National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee, for Ramdhanie to be allowed to attend his father’s funeral. Police sources told Newsday, that the authorities deemed Ramdhanie’s release from MSP to be a major security risk, since he managed to flee from the Princes Town Magistrates Court in 1998 to Venezuela. Police apparently feared that once Ramdhanie went to Icacos to attend the funeral, he might attempt another escape. Around midday yesterday, attorneys for the Ramdhanie family — Mark Seepersad  and  Gerald Ramdeen — were informed by Prison Authorities that permission had been granted for Ramdhanie to view his father’s body at Dass Funeral Home. Both attorneys were present for the viewing yesterday.

Two of Deochan’s brothers, who reside in the United States, took a black three-piece suit to the MSP in Arouca yesterday, after permission was granted for Ramdhanie to use the suit instead of the regulation MSP prison garb. Ramdhanie was transported to the funeral home in an airconditioned Prison Services van accompanied by heavily armed prison and police officers in other vehicles. Ramdhanie spent half an hour with his father during which, he was handed a bronze Tariah (a small prayers dish), with flowers and  matches. Ramdhanie, with his hands handcuffed, performed a ‘pooja’ (special prayer) and walked around his father’s casket. A total of  12  prison officers and several policemen stood silently and watched a sombre, crying Ramdhanie perform the funeral rites. At one point, Ramdhanie’s two brothers had to assist him to complete the ritual, after he broke down in tears. Ramdhanie was taken back to the prison van, sobbing and wiping away tears. He waved to the media as the prison van sped off, back to his jail cell in Arouca.