ID Parade put on hold

Dr Vijay nARAYNSINGH yesterday defied police instructions and failed to turn up for an identification parade at the Homicide Bureau, as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of his second wife,  Dr Chandra Naraynsingh. however, Vijay’s third wife,  school teacher Seeromanie Naraynsingh, and  southern businessman Elton Ramasir appeared in court yesterday for that murder. Vijay was supposed to meet with police around 2 pm, but up to late yesterday he could not be found. Frantic homicide officers who had allowed the doctor to return to his home on Tuesday and Wednesday night said that they felt betrayed by his actions, reportedly prompted by advice given to him by his attorneys that he was not legally compelled to attend the identification parade.

Homicide officers led by Snr Supt Hiyadath “Dyo” Mohammed searched homes in Valsayn, Caroni, Longdenville and Chaguanas, in a bid to locate the doctor, but they were unsuccessful. All their searches turned up nil and the doctor was reported to be in close contact with his attorneys all of yesterday. He is expected to meet with homicide officers at 11 am today. Vijay was detained at Piarco Airport on Monday night and taken to the Homicide Bureau where he was questioned about the 1994 murder of Dr Chandra Naraynsingh. Police officers spent the earlier part of yesterday getting persons to attend an identification parade. Employees at government offices fitting the resemblance of the doctor were approached to attend the identification parade, but several declined.

At around 3 pm, when the doctor did not show up, a decision was taken to issue a warrant for his arrest. Officers then decided to carry out searches and detain the doctor on suspicion, and not on a warrant. Up until late yesterday, the doctor was not found. Yesterday, attorneys SC Desmond Allum Prakash Ramadhar and Rajiv Persad made a Habeas Corpus application before Justice Sebastian Ventour. The application was an attempt to get the judge to rule that it will be unfair for the police to put their client Vijay on an identification parade, since his photograph appeared in the newspapers earlier this week, and he has been featured in the press and is extremely famous in this country.

The lawyers also contended that to put their client on ID parade would amount to an abuse of process. sitting in the Port-of-Spain Civil Court, Ventour dismissed the application around 1.30 pm yesterday. However, the judge said that Vijay was under no obligation to submit himself to the police. Following the dismissal of the application, Attorney Prakash Ramadhar said that his client will report to the police at 11 am today. “It is our view that the conduct of any identification parade in the circumstance will be nothing short of a farse and a charade,” said Ramadhar. He said that under the law, the police cannot arrest anyone on suspicion, only on evidence, on which they can then charge, The first ID parade with the doctor on Wednesday was aborted because of objections raised by his attorneys.