T&T accountant slain, wife, child rescued

(Trinidad Express) Re-latives of murdered 37-year-old Carapichaima accountant Neeshad Ali received some measure of closure on Sunday night with the rescue of his new bride, Laila, 27, and the couple’s daughter, one-year-old Alia, who were kidnapped after Ali was killed. Ali, who got married only last week, was on Sunday hacked to death at his home.

The victims were rescued by police on Sunday night in Carapichaima and four suspects, two from the area, and the other two from Marabella were held by police.

Up to press time, the suspects were being interviewed by police at the Marabella Police Station.

At the time of the incident, Ali, a Muslim, was observing the month of Ramadan. He got married to Laila last Tuesday. The abductors contacted Ali’s relatives demanding a TT$100,000 ransom for the safe release of the mother and child. Relatives said no ransom was paid.

Southern Division police, along with members of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), conducted roadblocks in search of the victims and suspects. The Nissan March motorcar belonging to Laila was later found abandoned in the Marabella district by police. Officers received information that the suspects may have boarded a pirogue and headed out to sea. The Coast Guard was contacted by police and asked to assist in the search for the men. The incident occurred between 10.a.m. and midday on Sunday at the back porch downstairs the victim’s two-storey home at Wohler’s Boulevard, Friendship Hall Drive, off McLeoud Trace. A family member stumbled upon Ali’s body just after midday, when the relative went to the residence. The police were called and checks were made for Laila and Alia, but they could not be found.

Relatives believe two men who were hired by Ali to paint a portion of the house where the body was found were responsible. The men, who lived in the Carapichaima area, could not be found by police at that time.