Thousands turn up for funeral of Baksh

THOUSANDS of mourners, including politicians, lawyers, doctors and members of several Islamic organisations, turned out at the Barrackpore Islamic Commu-nity Centre to bid farewell to Ashmead Baksh, 30, son of UNC MP for Naparima Nizam Baksh, who was shot to death and partially burnt one day after being kidnapped. Police investigating the weekend murder of Baksh, a contract supervisor who worked in his father’s contracting business, told Newsday that fear of being held by persons searching for Baksh, including members of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, led to the kidnappers aborting their plans to hold Baksh for a $5 million ransom and, in the end, deciding to kill him instead.

Up to late yesterday, investigators were still interrogating five suspects, including three brothers, all of whom are from Barrackpore. An autopsy carried out yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, revealed Baksh, was shot twice in the back of the head, execution style. Marks to the head, police sources said, suggested the killer put the gun to Baksh’s head before pulling the trigger. Even while the autopsy was being carried out, thousands of mourners started gathering at the Barrackpore Islamic Community Centre awaiting the start of the funeral service. Included in the massive congregation of mourners were relatives, friends, all of the Opposition MPs, led by leader Basdeo Panday, Government Ministers including Franklyn Khan, Ken Valley, Eudine Job Davis and Joan Yuille-Williams and leaders of several Muslim groups, including Imam Yasin Abu Bakr.

Baksh’s corpse was found dumped at Platanite Road in Barrackpore on Sunday, two days after a $5 million ransom was demanded for his safe release. Newsday understands members of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen were patrolling the area where the kidnappers were keeping Baksh captive, causing the kidnappers to panic. Leader of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, who turned up at the funeral to pay last respects, said he was close to the Baksh family and was assisting them in their search for Baksh. He said he believed the crime situation was a societal problem. Yesterday’s funeral was described as the largest, in terms of mourners, to be held in South Trinidad in a long time.