Roti thief fined $500

VICKRAM Rooplal’s love for roti cost him $500 yesterday, when he was fined by a San Fernando magistrate for stealing eight rotis, worth $34. If Rooplal fails to pay the fine within a week, his “roti passion” will cost him even more — a three month stay behind bars.

Rooplal, a former Caroni 1975 Ltd backhoe operator, told the court he was ashamed of his crime and assured presiding Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan he would pay the $34 owed to the roti shop when he gets his Voluntary Separation Package cheque, issued to over 9,000 workers following the recent closure of Caroni 1975 Ltd. Rooplal, aka “Stone,” of Petit Moone Village, Ste Madeleine, appeared in the San Fernando Fourth Magistrates’ Court charged with larceny of the rotis. Prosecutor, Cpl Kazim Ali, told the court on Sunday March 12, 2002, Rooplal went to Jenny’s Roti Shop, owned by Hamilton Toby, at Palmyra Link Road Junction, and ordered six dhalpourie roti skins and two chicken rotis.

Shop employee Monica Soogrimsingh took Rooplal’s order, but when she placed the bag of rotis on the counter in front of Rooplal, he snatched them and ran out of the shop. Shortly after, PCs David Simon and Steve Raju were passing by on mobile patrol and took a report from Hamilton. Several months later, police investigating the roti theft caught up with Rooplal when he was held for an unrelated offence, for which he was subsequently jailed for three months. After completing that sentence last week, he was brought to court to answer the roti stealing charge. His criminal records showed he had seven previous convictions for larceny, possession of marijuana, obtaining money by false pretences and tendering a false document. Rambachan also ordered Rooplal to pay $12 to Soogrimsingh for transportation costs she incurred, by visiting the court on two occasions to give evidence in the matter.