Trinidad coconut vendor fatally shot in Barrackpore

Trinidad and Tobago: A 34-year-old coconut vendor, Michael Seeraj, was shot and killed on Thursday night, October 23, while he was dumping coconut shells in an agricultural area off Ramsabad Trace, Barrackpore. Police reported that he was accompanied by another man, who ran away when he heard the gunshots.

According to police reports, around 7:35 p.m. the victim Seeraj, who sold coconut water at the traffic lights at Gulf View, went with another man to the area of Ramsabad Trace, Barrackpore, in his white Isuzu 3-tonne truck (registration TDU 9919) to dispose of coconut shells.

When the victim and his companion were dumping the coconut shells in the agricultural land, they heard a loud shooting sound and upon hearing the noise, the companion with the victim ran away from the scene. Around 8:10 p.m., he immediately went to the Barrackpore Police Station and reported the whole incident.

The reports claimed that, after getting a report the officers PC Seecharan and WPC Dyer immediately responded to the scene and upon arrival they found the victim’s truck which was parked facing north with both driver and passenger doors open.

Later they noticed the body of the victim Seeraj which was lying face-down on the ground to the left of the vehicle, wearing a sleeveless white T-shirt and blue pants. Officers also noticed the gunshot wound on the left shoulder of the victim.

The District Medical Officer checked the body of the victim but no sign of life was there  and made an official pronouncement while declaring him dead. He also ordered the  removal of the body to the San Fernando General Hospital Mortuary for safekeeping.

Authorities further claimed that the scene was immediately processed by the investigators as they recovered several items of evidential value, including TT$2,300 in cash found in the deceased's back pocket.

Also the officers from Homicide Bureau Region III along with the Insp. Teeluck, and senior personnel from the Barrackpore Police District, are leading the investigation into the matter,

The authorities also claimed that the motive behind the killing of the victim remains unknown and a post-mortem examination of the body at the Forensic Science Centre is also pending.

The family of the deceased are expressing their shock and grief as his wife Resha Ramdeo, is also grieving over her husband's death, while describing him as a hardworking man who was focused on building a home for his family.

The neighbors and friends of the victim also described Seeraj as a quiet and peaceful man who kept to himself, with no known enemies or conflicts. They all are demanding justice for him.