Guard chases media with gun

AFTER 40 days in the hands of his abductors, Rodney Deosaran was freed near his father’s Carapichaima mansion in the wee hours of yesterday morning. Despite this good news, members of the media were faced with verbal abuse and had a guns pointed at them from a security guard. Newsday understands that media personnel belonging to two television stations went to the Old Southern Main Road, St Mary’s, Carapichaima mansion where a security guard hired by Deosaran’s father, Jawaharlal Deosaran, reportedly pulled his gun and began waving and pointing in their faces, demanding that they remove themselves from the premises. Earlier yesterday, around 11 am, when Newsday and media personnel from another daily newspaper visited the Deosarans, we were told via intercom, from a female voice believed to be from a close relative of Rodney, that Rodney’s father did not wish to speak to the media.

“He doesn’t want to speak to anybody right now,” the voice said. When asked if Deosaran Snr would speak to the media later on in the day, she replied, “Not at all - no media, no media, none, never.” When Newsday asked the relative why she was hostile to the media who was always there for them, especially when they wanted to send out their numerous pleas to Rodney’s kidnappers to safely release him so that he can reunited with his family, she said, “No, stupid question, do not call back, do not come back here, we don’t need you all, go!” Newsday was also met with threats and insults from Rodney’s in-laws at their Orange Field Road, Carapichaima residence. “Hello, hello, we don’t want anybody here, if we see anything published we would be suing - go away - or else!” shouted a relative of Deosaran’s wife, Jaime. Newsday understands that Jamie and her two-year-old son, Tristan, were summoned to Rodney’s father’s mansion, as soon as word got out that Rodney had been released.

According to police sources, Rodney was released in Calcutta, Freeport around 3 am yesterday and was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility where he was medically examined and given a clean bill of health. Newsday was unable to confirm if a ransom was paid or not for Rodney’s release. Rodney was kidnapped by three armed and masked men on July 4 around 9.45 pm while liming at the home of his wife’s parents. He was bundled into a car while his wife, Jamie, along with her parents and sisters were reportedly tied up. The kidnappers initially demanded a $10 million ransom for his safe release. Last Tuesday, Rodney’s father, Jawaharlal, proprietor of Amalgamated Sanitation Services Limited, El Socorro, publicly declared that he had no faith in the officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad. He reported that he would no longer be working with them and would be taking the matter into his own hands.