No leads on kidnapped auto dealer

– as family scampers to raise ransom

The police are continuing their investigations into the alleged kidnapping of East Coast auto dealer Rajendra Singh and while they have found no leads on where he is being held captive, his relatives are scampering to find the $25 million ransom being demanded.

Stabroek News has been unable to make contact with family members as they have all moved out of their home after they were threatened that if the ransom demand was not met the man’s wife and teenage son would also be kidnapped.

A senior police official told this newspaper that the kidnappers contacted Singh’s family around five o’clock yesterday morning about the ransom money.

The money was to be paid over on Sunday night but was not. This newspaper was told that the relatives were unable to come up with the requested sum.

The police official told this newspaper that the police are still looking at gathering evidence from the man’s car which was found abandoned in another East Coast village and are hopeful that phone records will be helpful.

Friends of the family told the media on Sunday that Singh and his wife, both of Hope West, Enmore, ECD were closing their Foulis public road business when two men jumped out of a bus and walked into the business establishment posing as customers.

They eventually brandished weapons and proceeded to assault Singh and his wife.

The men then reportedly took the day’s earnings, asked for the keys to one of the couple’s vehicles, put Singh in the trunk, and drove off with him. One family friend said that the man’s wife rushed for another vehicle and tried to follow her husband’s captors, but did not locate them.

Police had said that investigations indicated that Singh was in his motor vehicle PFF 982 in front of his business place when his wife observed two men entering the vehicle which then drove off.

According to the police the car was later discovered on        the Goedverwagting Railway Embankment, ECD by members of the community policing group. The evening of the abduction, Singh’s wife received a phone call demanding $50 million for his return.