Millionaire’s son snatched

RODNEY DEOSARAN, 28, son of millionaire businessman Jawaharlal Deosaran — who owns and operates a chain of garbage disposal trucks — was kidnapped at gunpoint on Sunday night and a $10 million ransom is being demanded for his release. Deosaran, who lives with his wife Jamie and two-year-old son Trishtan in Lange Park, Chaguanas, was visiting Jamie’s family in Orange Field Road, Carapichaima when three unmasked gunmen stormed the house and ordered everyone to keep quiet.

Jamie, her sisters Janelle, 20, Jennifer, 15, and their parents Assim and Carol Ali were tied with electrical wire and rope, and duct tape was placed across their mouths. The men then forced Deosaran into a silver Mazda 323 which sped off with him. Moments after they left, Rodney’s father was telephoned by the kidnappers who made their ransom demand. Neither the Deosaran nor Ali family would speak to the media yesterday but police sources said Carol managed to free herself from the wire and rope with which she had been bound and ran to the front door of the house screaming for help. Neighbours telephoned the Freeport Police who immediately put out an All Points Bulletin (APB).

Yesterday the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and Freeport Police visited Jawaharlal Deosaran’s home which is a sprawling mansion in Cara-pichaima surrounded by orchards and a livestock farm. Popularly referred to as the local “Falcon Crest” the property has a tennis court, swimming pool and basketball court. There is considerable security — an electronic gate and floodlights surround the property. The media could not get beyond the gate. Over at the Ali’s Orange Field Road home, Jaime was interviewed by the AKS police. According to police reports, the kidnapping took place around 9.45 pm on Sunday night.

Deosaran Sr is the owner of Amalgamated Sanitation Company Limited in El Socorro. The ransom demand for Deosaran of $10 million is the largest made in a spate of kidnappings that has hit the country, and follows the kidnapping of ten-year-old Vijay Persad, son of a Princes Town small businessman, who was snatched almost three weeks ago, and for whose release a ransom demand of $500,000 has been made. Up to late yesterday there was still no word of either Deosaran or Persad. The Persad family has offered $20,000 for information that would lead to Vijay’s release and the arrest of his kidnappers. AKS and Freeport police under the supervision of Central Division head Sr Supt Wilson are continuing investigations.