The friend of Kesther Ragoobar, who died at hospital after he was discovered barely clinging to life along the Beetham Highway last Sunday morning, is distancing himself from any involvement in his fate.
The friend whom Ragoobar left his Gooray Trace, Golconda home with last Saturday reached out to Guardian Media yesterday to clarify what occurred. His account was supported by security footage obtained from the Curepe bar they were at and differed from the accounts of Ragoobar’s family. He said he had been receiving blame for Ragoobar’s disappearance and it only worsened after it was discovered he had died.
“This is one of my real close friends. We can’t even go to the funeral nothing, cause of how the family real accusing we…is all kind of thing they saying. I know they go want somebody to blame because is they son, I understand,” he said.
He said contrary to what was reported, they were never gambling that night, he did not win $25,000, nor did they leave Ragoobar behind after an argument. The family of Ragoobar also dismissed the rumour that he was gambling. His friend explained to Guardian Media that the only person gambling that night was an elderly gentleman whom the group of friends met at the bar. He explained that the payout the gentleman received was not the figure reported but was, in reality, closer to $3,000. He also said the perception he left Ragoobar was also untrue, as it was Ragoobar who abandoned them during the lime.
“I had nothing to do with this. He leave we,” he said.
The friend said this was not the first time Ragoobar had abandoned a lime without anyone’s knowledge and travelled home. This, he said, is why he did not pay any heed to his absence when he left them last weekend.
“When he leave I thought he went outside to pee or some kind of thing. Then after I walk out, I watch the security, I ain’t see him so I say oh God like he gone again, like he pick up he self and gone again. So I say well yeah, he go travel home. This is the second time he doing this with we.”
He said he was only aware Ragoobar had not returned home when, on Tuesday, he went to his home to ask for his assistance to cut some grass. When he discovered Ragoobar did not make it home, he again did not pay much heed because he did not expect anything untoward.
Guardian Media visited the Curepe bar yesterday where the bar owner who confirmed the group of friends were at his establishment that night. The bar’s surveillance footage showed both Ragoobar and his friend arriving at the bar around 9.30 pm where they met up with some other friends. The footage further showed that around 10.34 pm Ragoobar placed his cup on a nearby table and stepped outside.
The next time anyone saw Ragoobar was when he was discovered unconscious and barely clinging to life along the Beetham Highway around 1.30 am later that night. Surveillance footage from the bar showed that around that time his friend was just leaving the bar.
Ragoobar’s family last saw him on last Saturday (February 2) when he left home with his friend, and reported him missing when he failed to return home the following day. He was later discovered to have died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was listed as a John Doe. An autopsy showed he died from multiple blunt traumatic injuries.
How Ragoobar ended up along the Beetham Highway is still unknown. Investigations are ongoing.
