Hours before voting began in the Chaguanas West by-election yesterday, a man was murdered by bandits in front of his home. But despite a suggestion to the contrary by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, the victim’s family do not believe the killing was linked to the election. Bhandath Ramkir, a 50-year old physically-challenged man, was shot around 2 am when he reportedly tried to stop thieves who were breaking into a relative’s car parked in front of his house. Relatives told the T&T Guardian the relative, who lives next door, had parked his Daewoo Cielo in front of Ramkir’s house and asked him to “watch” it. Around 2.30 am, however, Ramkir’s relatives were awakened by the sound of a gunshot and bawling. They found Ramkir lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to the right side of his chest.
Ramkir, who was unmarried and had no children, was described by villagers as a harmless, fun-loving man, fond of a drink. His killing came in the midst of reports of vandalism and threats of intimidation by people reported to have been brought into the area from “outside” in the build-up to the election. Relatives, the police and neighbours denied his killing was related to the election but said at the same time that they never had any crime like that in the area. Ramkir, whose hand was permanently injured, lived with relatives and when the T&T Guardian visited the house yesterday morning, they were being questioned by Assistant Supt Seemungal Rampersad of the San Fernando Homicide Bureau. Rampersad told the T&T Guardian the incident appeared to be a straight case of attempted robbery. He said while the car was not in perfect condition, it was fitted with “mag rims” on the wheels, which the bandits were probably looking at.
He said about $150 was stolen from the wallet of the owner’s wife, which was in the car, along with her bank card. “We are trying to piece it together,” Rampersad said. He noted, however, there was another robbery in Endeavour on Sunday night, in which a security guard was bound by bandits while they pillaged the place. The owner of the car and his wife, who were questioned by Rampersad, appeared distraught and were reluctant to talk to the media. Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, who visited the Petersfield house around 8 am yesterday, told the media Ramkir was a United National Congress (UNC) activist and his killing might have been linked to the election. The UNC, one of the parties in the coalition People’s Partnership Government, was one of the main contenders in the election race for its former stronghold. The UNC’s main political rival was former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, who resigned the seat and re-contested it under the banner of his newly-formed Independent Liberal Party.
But one of Ramkir’s relatives, Usha, dismissed any idea his murder was related to the election. “He never vote in his life. He supports everybody,” she said. “A relative ask him to watch the car and people pass and break into it.” Usha said the family lives on the side of the road that falls in the Couva North constituency and could not vote in the election. Neighbours said Ramkir was wearing an Independent Liberal Party jersey the day before he was killed. UNC Chaguanas West candidate Khadijah Ameen, who visited the home around 11 am, told the family the UNC would handle the funeral expenses. Shortly after Ramkir’s murder, which pushed the toll to 210 for the year, news also circulated in the village that a man had been knocked down near the polling station at the Felicity Presbyterian School.