Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
As tears flowed and prayers were offered for the safe return of kidnapped doubles vendor Anisha Hosein-Singh last evening, her family begged those responsible to release her safely and unharmed.
A distraught male relative told Guardian Media, “If they make a call, we will pay the ransom. Whatever they want, we will give it to them. We just want her back safe and in one piece.”
Saddened by the apparent lack of interest by the authorities as the woman’s injured husband had not been interviewed by investigators up to eight hours after the incident, Hosein-Singh’s relatives assured they had no grievances with anyone that could lead to her being targeted.
Rajiv Singh was shot in the left side of the face as he attempted to keep the kidnappers from taking his wife. The couple has a three-year-old boy child who celebrated his birthday last Friday.
Hosein-Singh, 27, along with her husband and other workers, were setting up the tents for Sauce & Sons Doubles outlet along the Eastern Main Road, El Dorado, around 5.50 am when a silver B15 car with four masked men pulled up.
A recording captured by nearby security cameras shows two armed men running into the business place while a third kept watch, following which gunshots were heard, and then two men were seen dragging Hosein-Singh into the waiting vehicle, which sped off in a westerly direction.
It was alleged the kidnappers had not contacted the family up to 3 pm yesterday.
In an interview with talk-show host Ian Alleyne around 2.30 pm, Hosein’s husband and her father, Ahamad Hosein, confirmed the family had not received any calls or visits from the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) or any other arm of law enforcement.
Singh was interviewed by two police officers at the hospital and later left the institution on his own.
The car that Hosein-Singh was bundled into was found abandoned at Lluengo Village, Maracas Valley, St Joseph, several hours after the kidnapping. The vehicle was parked on a muddy embankment in the mountainous area.
Residents living close to where the car was found said they were aware of the incident as it had been reported on social media.
Offering words of hope that Hosein-Singh would be found safe and alive, they expressed surprise that such activities had occurred in the quiet area.
Meanwhile, it appeared to be business as usual yesterday in El Dorado, in the vicinity of where the kidnapping occurred.
By 9 am yesterday, surrounding bars and other establishments were opened as normal.
Several business operators declined to talk, except to say the doubles operators were quite popular and always managed to attract a crowd.
One man who lives close by described the kidnapped woman as “a real nice girl.” He added, “She is always respectful and kind; she never rough up nobody and always quiet.”
Guardian Media was told by another man that it might be a case of mistaken identity, as he believed the kidnappers had confused Sauce & Sons Doubles with that of Sauce Doubles, which has been the target of multiple shootings over the past several months.
Sauce & Sons is solely owned and operated by Hosein’s father and brothers.
In the latest incident targeting Sauce Doubles on May 12, a 19-year-old man was manning the stand set up along the Southern Main Road, Cunupia, around 10.20 am, when a car stopped and a masked man got out. It was alleged that the armed suspect told the worker to tell his boss lady to look out for a call last Friday, following which he fired several shots.
No one was injured in that incident.
In March 2021, Amar Hosein was critically injured in a shooting at his home in Orange Grove, Tunapuna.
In December 2020, Kareem Jervis was killed in a shooting in Curepe Junction. The doubles vendor had been employed with Sauce Doubles and died after gunmen opened fire on him as he was at work in a wrought-iron cage.
In August 2019, yet another Sauce Doubles vendor was shot in the head and chest while at work. Shazard Manick later died at the hospital.
Guardian Media was told yesterday that the owners/operators of Sauce Doubles had left the country following the latest threats.