Mother still seeking answers on missing man’s fate

Navindra Ramdeen
Navindra Ramdeen

A Good Hope, East Coast Demerara woman is seeking closure after the mysterious disappearance of her son more than a year and a half ago.

Navindra Ramdeen, 29, called ‘Rocky,’ a father of two of Richardsville, Mon Repos, ECD was last seen alive by one his brothers on August 5th, 2017.

His mother, Limwattie Laljie, said that she last saw him when he visited her home on July 27th, 2017. During the visit, Laljie said Ramdeen appeared stressed and complained about problems with his wife.

“Me remember dah the last me see am and he nah been in ah good mood cause while he walk go out, he stop and he ah watch meh,” Laljie recalled.

She said after Ramdeen told her of his problems, she tried to counsel him. “…Me seh man wah yuh want and weh yuh gun lef and go? Yuh done gah two pickney and then watch yuh position in church. People guh point finger ’cause he [Ramdeen] does preach and he seh ‘Nah man, nah tek worries… me guh handle me problem,’” she further recalled.

After not hearing from him, Laljie said she asked his wife about his whereabouts and was told that he went to Venezuela to work. “Me seh yuh does hear from am? She [Ramdeen’s wife] seh ‘Yes,’” she added.

Laljie said she nevertheless made a missing person report to the police since August of 2017 because she had not heard from Ramdeen and his wife would not tell her how she had made contact with him, thereby fueling suspicions.

After her report to the police, she said they told her that their checks revealed that Ramdeen did not leave the country using his passport.

She also recalled that about two weeks prior to his disappearance Ramdeen related his life was threatened. “He [Ramdeen] seh he ah walk out the street fah go shop and he seh one bai pull up with one bicycle and seh ‘Yo, yo, nah mess with meh woman or else me guh kill yuh and put yuh in a septic tank fah rest,” she recounted.

According to Laljie, after news of Ramdeen’s disappearance circulated recently, she received a call days ago from a woman, who claimed that he was safe. “Now when abe try mek contact back with the gal [the caller], she talking in Spanish,” she said.

Laljie said the ordeal has left her frustrated, particularly since Ramdeen is not the type of person who would be gone for such a long period without informing anyone. She also voiced her doubts that he would leave his children behind. As a result, she fears the worst and is now seeking closure. “People tell meh nah seh suh ’til me see he [Ramdeen] in a coffin,” Laljie said.

She is, therefore, calling on the police to further investigate.

A law enforcement source told Stabroek News that the police have recently reopened their investigation into Ramdeen’s disappearance.

“As a mother, I just feel like something wrong,” Laljie said, while noting her belief that Ramdeen would not take his own life. “The thing is: He nah guh kill he self. Them grow rough, so is not like them nah know what is worries,” she added.