‘Missing’ couple found

-had run off to Suriname
The doctor and his fiancée, who mysteriously disappeared on Saturday morning after leaving for the city, were yesterday equally mysteriously reunited with their families after a reported visit to neighbouring Suriname on Sunday.

Late last evening the families of 27-year-old Dr Samsundar Lakeram of Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and his fiancée, 25-year-old Radica ‘Davi’ Dwarka, of Mon Repos, ECD refused to divulge any information to Stabroek News when contacted and would only say that the two were safely back home.

Samsundar Lakeram
Samsundar Lakeram

The two had disappeared after they left their respective homes on Saturday morning for the city where they had said they would have repaired a lap top computer and purchased a cellular phone.  The car, PKK 5194,  they were in was later found abandoned behind the Eve Leary Police Station, along the Georgetown seawall with their clothing folded neatly in the car.

Stabroek News understands that the couple had changed their clothing and travelled to Berbice and checked into a Skeldon hotel before travelling to Suriname from where they returned yesterday. It is not clear what the purpose of the travel was as neither could be reached for a comment and their previously cooperative families were unwilling to speak to the media. The police are still to issue an official press release on their disappearance. According to reports the couple was seen in Berbice and contact was made with the police and they were escorted to the city where they were questioned before being released.

Their disappearance had seen their parents searching frantically for them with the young woman’s father braving almost neck high flood water at the back of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara where a prankster had phoned and informed him that their bodies were found. The father, Ramnarine Dwarka, had said that since the couple’s disappearance was aired on two television stations on Sunday with their families’ contact numbers he had received several prank calls.

Radica ‘Davi’ Dwarka
Radica ‘Davi’ Dwarka

Residents in both villages had come out in their numbers on Monday to support the two grieving families and many chanted prayers at the home of Sumsundar for his safe return.
When contacted last night Dwarka refused to divulge any information on the couple’s safe return stating that “Is nah me find dem and if you want more information call de boy father.” When Stabroek News visited his home he once again refused to speak but said that a thanksgiving service was in progress for his daughter’s safe return.

Earlier in the day Crime Chief Seelall Persaud had told Stabroek News that the couple’s disappearance did not look like a kidnapping. “There is no evidence to support that they were kidnapped,” he said and when asked if he believed that the two eloped the crime chief said there was also no evidence to support that theory.

One of the leads the police were pursuing was a call made to the father of Samsundar reportedly from his son. “But the only thing the person said was ‘Dad’ and the phone was cut off and we are attempting to trace the number,” the crime chief had said. The call was reportedly made sometime on Sunday night.

Stabroek News had also spoken to Samsundar’s father earlier in the day via cellular phone and he had said that he was not giving any information not even to the police.
Last evening his daughter Radha, who had spoken to this newspaper on Monday, confirmed that the couple was safely back home but said she had no further information on the circumstances. She said that her father had received a call and he acted on it and the couple was returned.

The father was also contacted again after his son’s return and he told the reporter to contact him again at 9pm. A call was made to his phone again before the stipulated time and he said “Leh we just rest this matter I ent have nothing more to say leh we rest it.” Further probed by the reporter who indicated to him that he should say something since the public were made to believe that something had happened to his son the man said, “I say leh we rest this matter, this matter is a serious matter, meh nah say nothing more.”
On Monday relatives of the son had said he left his home and shortly after picked up his fiancée telling relatives he was travelling to the city.

Radha had said he left their home around 10 am on Saturday to travel to Georgetown where he would have repaired his lap top computer and purchased a phone. “That is the last thing we know and when he didn’t come home we start to call his phone but it was off,” the young woman had said. She had said her brother was expected home before 6 pm on Saturday, as he was expected to go out with some friends. She had also stated that they become very worried when he had not returned by nightfall as he never stayed out late.

The next morning his father made a report to the Vigilance Police Station and they later learnt that the car was found and members of the family along with those of Dwarka rushed to the scene. The family helped the police to search but they found nothing.