Kidnap victim flees abductors

After spending two nights in captivity in a wooden house surrounded by thick forest in the Santa Cruz hills, 18-year-old kidnap victim Shivannand Ramlogan untied himself, jumped through a window and escaped from his abductors on Saturday night. The shaken teenager crossed several rivers, was drenched by heavy rainfall and made his way to the home of a Santa Cruz couple who took him to the Santa Cruz Police Station. He was examined by a doctor and later reunited with his family.

Shivannand, a fisherman of Temple Street, El Socorro, was snatched by four men posing as police officers on Divali Day. The teenager was bundled into a car, blindfolded and taken to a house where he said he was “roughed” up by his abductors. Yesterday when Newsday visited his El Socorro home  Shivannand said that as a devout Hindu, he began praying for his safety and asked the Hindu Goddess of Light, Mother Lakshmi, to grant him his wish to be reunited with his family. He said that on Divali night he was moved from the first house to a wooden shack in the Santa Cruz hills. On Friday morning he was fed sweet biscuits and given some water. During the day on Friday, he was told by one of the kidnappers that they really wanted his mother Deokie Lalsingh, but took him instead because they were having difficulty in getting Lalsingh.

“I was scared, but all I kept thinking about was being back home with my family,” said Shivannand. He was also threatened to be killed tomorrow, if his family did not pay a $2 million ransom. On Friday night, Shivannand was again fed sweet biscuits, while on Saturday he was given half of a Kiss cake. He told Newsday that on Saturday night around 9 pm, when he realised that his kidnappers were not in the house, he managed to untie himself and jumped through a window, where he made his dash for freedom. Shivannand added he was fed a good home- cooked meal on Saturday night. Yesterday, he visited his Muslim friends and ate curry and sweets as part of the Eid celebrations. He also spoke to officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, who took him back to the Santa Cruz forest with the hope of locating the shack where he was kept. Despite several searches, the shack was not found.

Relieved mother Deokie Lalsingh told Newsday she was grateful to the Almighty for allowing her son to be reunited with her. She is however concerned about the safety of her other children and herself. She issued a plea with the kidnappers to desist from kidnapping. “You kidnappers, you did not make lives and you are not supposed to take lives. “You all were born from mothers like myself, and to hurt a mother is to hurt God,” said Lalsingh. She said that she does not have any money to pay any ransom and is calling on the police to protect her family from further harm. Three years ago, a close relative of the family was kidnapped and killed. Lalsingh said that she is fed up of the situation and feels that the authorities have failed to protect the lives of citizens who are targetted by kidnappers.