(Trinidad Express) Police suspect that skeletal remains found at Couva on Sunday may be those of a doubles man who went missing three years ago.
Dhanraj Juman was last seen on September 25, 2017, wearing a brown jersey and a pair of black pants with a brown belt.
Near the skeletal remains were pieces of clothing matching the description of what Juman wore and a wallet containing a Trinidad and Tobago national identification card, driving permit, and Pricesmart member card belonging to the missing man.
The remains were found around 11 a.m. at Connec-tor Road by a man cutting grass on his agricultural property at Connector Road, Mc Bean Village.
Police officers of the Couva CID who responded first at the scene observed the remains and clothing were burnt.
The remains and items were taken to the Forensic Science Centre, St James, for forensic analysis, and pending DNA testing with tissue samples from his siblings and children.
TTPS records revealed that Juman, 37, was reported missing to the Couva police on October 4, 2017.
The report made by Juman’s wife, Vernesa Juman, stated that she last saw him as he left their home at Baksh Settlement, Mc Bean Village around 2 p.m. on September 25, 2017.
In a telephone interview on Monday she told Express that he left driving their black Nissan Wingroad wagon.
“We went to a prayers (religious service) by his sister that morning. We came home after lunch, and when he went out, I assumed he went to lime with his friends”, she said.
Detectives were also told that last seen at a bar at Korea Village, Carapichaima later that day.
Weeks later the vehicle was found in Central Trinidad, but there was no more information regarding his disappearance and the case file remained open.
Juman’s wife said she had prayed and hoped for three years to find some word about her husband.
The couple had three children.
Vernesa Juman said police contacted her on Sunday, but she was too distraught to go to the scene.
“I couldn’t bear to go inside there when the police contacted me. It took so long to find some kind of closure. It was not easy not knowing over the last three years whether he was alive or not”, said the wife.
She said she would await the results of DNA tests to firmly say if the remains were her husband’s.
“After praying and hoping that he would be found we finally get some closure, but I want to be 100 per cent sure before I say anything like ‘yes it is him’. I know that they found things near the remains, but I am still waiting to hear something more that they are sure it is him. The police have to do DNA (testing) they will contact me”, she said.
Juman’s brother, Hamranath Bally Juman said he too was grateful if the family could get closure about his brother’s disappearance.
“At least we may get some closure about my brother. This hurt me a lot. If there was any hope about him coming back, well there is no more. Reality is reality”, he said.
Hamranath Juman said their deceased father was also a doubles vendor, and taught him and his brother the trade.
Juman, who was also known as “Adesh”, sold the delicacies near the roundabout at Caroni Savannah Road.
“The last time I spoke to him was about three weeks before he went missing. I got a heavy feeling and I called him on the phone and asked him if everything was all right. He said ‘we will talk’. But that was it, we never spoke after that”, said the grieving brother.
He said Juman did not tell him if his life was under threat.
