‘Take me to my mommy and daddy’

“TAKE ME TO my Mommy and Daddy,” were the words little Saada Singh told her rescuer, a KFC delivery driver who had picked up the child yesterday afternoon in Siparia where he found her wandering in the street. Little Saada was brought back to the safe arms of her relieved parents Sean and Ria Singh at their home at Vistabella after 4 pm, and according to police, no ransom money was paid for her release. Although being in captivity for three days, the child was in good spirits, smiling for cameras and pulling at the beard of her grandfather, Mike Singh. She was examined by a doctor and was given a clean bill of health, Sunday Newsday was told.

Hugging little Saada tightly in her arms, the child’s mother, Ria, said she would be “keeping her in her hands and never letting her go.” The child, who will turn four years old in a few days, was kidnapped on Thursday from her school, Giselle’s Montessori, at Archibald Street, Vistabella. A woman, who gave her name as Michelle, took little Saada from school telling school officials that she was sent to collect the child since the parents had an emergency. Yesterday, Ria spoke of her decision to continue Saada’s education at home. “She (Saada) is not going back to school,” Ria told reporters “I will educate my child at home.” She thanked the Anti-Crime Units and Anti Kidnapping Squad for their assistance. Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Graham, who was one of scores of persons who gathered at the Singh’s residence at 27 Hubert Rance Street, told the media that the driver, Deoraj Ragoonathsingh, found the child at Murray Trace, Siparia. Graham said that little Saada was seen “waving down” vehicles and Ragoonathsingh, of Pluck Road, San Francique, picked up the child in his Datsun 120Y. Ragoonathsingh then took little Saada to the Siparia Police Station around 3.20 pm and turned her over to detectives. 

“The child seemed to be very brave. She said ‘take me to my Mummy, take me to my Daddy. I want something to eat’,” Graham relayed to the media. Graham added that the child’s release came after Point Fortin police had taken into custody a man who claimed that he was offered a job to transport the child from Point Fortin at San Francique. Graham said that the man had been assisting police “into making great headway based on the information he is giving to the police.” “He told one of the police officers that it was against his conscience and he thought it was fitting to tell the police what had transpired,” Graham said. Police also held two male suspects. Graham said the arrests came after several telephone calls from persons offering assistance on the abduction, and the two suspects were among a list of names that were being investigated. San Fernando Mayor Ian Atherly congratulated the nation on their support, and he was thrilled on the release of little Saada.