(Trinidad Express) The parents of murdered siblings, Vishal and Vishanie Chitbahal, say the pain of losing their only children is something impossible to recover from.
But the biggest blow, they say, is not knowing why it happened.
The family held the traditional Hindu prayers on Tuesday in memory of the siblings who were shot dead at their home two weeks ago.
In a telephone interview, mother Ann Chitbahal said she and her husband, Tony, were not doing well.
Chitbahal said her husband had received medical treatment as he was unable to come to terms with the tragedy.
“We are not doing well. They were our only children. Today we are having their prayers and it is very difficult. My husband had to go for medical treatment. But I am here trying to hold down the fort,” she said.
Chitbahal said since the incident she had been searching for answers. But there were no clues as to why anyone would want her children dead.
“I think about it all the time. I want answers and justice for my children’s death. My daughter told me everything. When she came home from work she would sit and tell me about her day. Not knowing why this happened is torture,” she said.
Chitbahal said she was praying that the police find the answers she was desperately searching for.
“The police have been in contact with me and I am assisting them with whatever they need,” she said.
The family live at Sand Road, Windsor Park, California.
Ann Chitbahal told police that she woke early that morning to prepare a meal for her family when three men dressed in dark clothing entered. One of the men was carrying a gun.
The mother said the men pushed her and she began to scream.
That was when 23-year-old Vishanie ran into her parent’s room.
Her father recalled, “That was was when one of them shouted ‘that’s she, that’s she’s’ and another one said ‘yes’. Then the man with the gun pointed it at her head and shot her at close range in the middle of her forehead.”
The gunshots woke 25-year-old Vishsl who was asleep in another bedroom.
Police said the men were leaving the house when Vishal exited his bedroom and was shot in the chest.
He was pronounced dead at the Couva District Hospital. His sister died at the scene.
Relatives said the siblings were respectful and quiet. They were active members in the village mandir.
A relative said the siblings were planning to rebuild their parent’s home after this year.
The siblings were cremated together in one pyre at the Waterloo cremation site.
Five people attended the Hindu funeral service at the family’s home.
Homicide officers told the Express on Tuesday that investigations were ongoing. No suspects have been detained.
