(Trinidad Guardian) It has been 42 days since Gangadhar Hanooman, 49, has been missing and relatives in renewing their calls for help in finding him, have also called on Police Commissioner Gary Griffith for a “personal” intervention in the investigations surrounding the case.
Hanooman of Roystonia, Couva, was last seen on September 1 at about 6.30 pm near a mini mart close to his home in Roystonia in Couva.
His car—a silver Nissan B14—was found abandoned near a mangrove adjacent to two vegetable gardens in Felicity, Chaguanas two days after on September 3.
The car was found by a search party organised by family members who acted on spiritual guidance given to them by a pundit (a Hindu leader). Speaking with the T&T Guardian, Gangadhar’s wife, who was too scared to give her name or be photographed, said she remains hopeful that her husband will return to her. She believes that something terribly went wrong that day as she was told “strange things” maybe “clues,” “He went by a brother of his and I had called him and told him to stop and buy some vegetables when he was coming home. About 8.30 pm I called him and asked him where he was.
He said he went Mc Bean to buy a burger but thinking about it he doesn’t go Mc Bean to buy burgers, he usually goes to buy bar-b-que.”
“Then after a while, I called him and asked him where he was and he told me to call his brother that his car get stick up,” she added.
Another relative further explained that many times before in conversation, Gangadhar, when talking about crimes would not say the word “hijack” but would say “stick up” which she said meant someone being hijacked or hijacking. “So…thinking about it that could have been another clue that he was trying to give, maybe?” the relative said.
It is said that during a call to Gangadhar’s cellphone on one occasion that night, male voices were heard in the background as though a quarrel was going on at the time. There was also music heard playing believed to be coming from the car’s radio. In that call, Gangadhar did not say anything. The phone suddenly hung up and calls after that went straight to the voice mail recording.
Gangadhar’s car, which was subsequently impounded at the Chaguanas Police Station, was recently released to the family and is now parked up in Gangadhar’s backyard. With sadness in her eyes, occasionally “drifting” in her thoughts, Gangadhar’s wife for eight years stood next to her husband’s car in dismay during an interview with the T&T Guardian.
“My husband didn’t have money to even buy a brand new car for himself. He was now trying to save up his money to change his car. Why would anyone want to take him? What is the reason?”
Another relative said she strongly believes that investigating officers at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad could do more in their attempts to find Gangadhar.
“He went missing two days before Natalie Pollonais and they were able to use all the technology to find her, why they couldn’t use that same procedure to find him?” the relative said.
“We would like for Mr Griffith to take up this, personally and intervene somehow and help us find our loved one. Hanooman was so quiet, he would have never even hurt a fly,” the relative added. Hanooman recently took early retirement from the state-company he worked at and was currently trying to get his documents ready for submission so that he could have gotten what was financially due to him but he went missing before completing the process. Gangadhar’s wife has made a tearful plea for anyone who can help her find her husband, “Please…if anyone can help, please help me.”
Anyone with information on his whereabouts or other information concerning his disappearance can contact the police at 555, 800 TIPS or the nearest police station.
