RALPH BANWARIE
A 51-year-old father of two, grieving after his wife left him, yesterday forced his 11-year-old son to ingest a poisonous substance before ingesting some of it himself in Mayaro. The boy survived but Mootilal Rattansingh succumbed to the deadly weedicide.
Rattansingh, who had attempted suicide before and only returned to work at Nestle last week after recovering from the first attempt, left a note for his relatives, bequeathing everything of value he owned to his daughter and granddaughter.
The note, which he signed and put in his wallet, read: “I leave my savings from First Citizens Bank, Republic Bank, Nestle Credit Union, Unit Trust and workplace, if there is anything.”
According to police reports, Rattansingh took his son off a school bus that was taking him to school yesterday morning. He then drove the child to Ortoire in his vehicle, a Tucson, where he forced him to ingest poison before he himself did the same. He eventually ran off the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road shortly before 2 pm.
Ortoire villagers later found Rattansingh dead and his son frothing at the mouth and called the police. The boy was first rushed to the Sangre Grande District Hospital and then transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, where doctors were desperately trying to save his life up to last evening.
A party of officers, led by Supt Robert Phillip, and including Ag Insp Ken Lutchman, Sgt Paul, PCs Ramnath and Willie along with Homicide officers from the South Region, responded.
Rattansingh’s body was viewed by a district medical officer and ordered removed to the Sangre Grande Hospital mortuary. It will be taken to the Forensic Science Center, St James, today for a post mortem to determine cause of death
Police found a white powdery substance they believe to be the poison used inside the vehicle. They believe the father forced the poison down the boy’s throat but he put up a fight and managed to ingest very little of it.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian, Rattansingh’s sister, Mala, said yesterday’s incident had resulted from a break-up with his wife due to an abusive relationship. She said his wife had left him and was forced to take out a protection order one month ago. That, she said, had aggravated her brother.
Relatives said around 8.30 am yesterday, the boy entered the school bus outside their home at Streatham Lodge Road, Tunapuna, and was off to school. However, the school’s principal called after 9 am to ask if he was not attending classes as he was not dropped off with the other students. The bus driver told relatives Rattansingh stopped the bus, took his son, put him in his vehicle and drove off.
Relatives tried contacting Rattansingh and Mala eventually spoke with him. He kept asking for his wife and Mala told him to have patience. They began to fear the worst when he reportedly told her that would be the last time she would be hearing from him or his son. He did not answer subsequent calls.
Rattansingh’s younger sibling, Parasam Singh, said his brother had been depressed for the past month and showed up at his home yesterday demanding to take the child to school yesterday. Sensing something was wrong, Singh refused, and they later let the boy go to school in the bus.
Singh said relatives realised Rattansingh’s intention after they overheard him asking for directions to the Oil Road to Rio Claro.
“Right now I dreaming here. I don’t want this to happen to my worst enemy, especially since it involve a little child. That little child love his family,” Singh said, admitting he was both angered and saddened by the incident.
Relatives said Rattansingh was a workaholic and a good man to his family. They believe depression led to the incident, adding he was receiving counselling at his job but it was not enough. The first suicide incident, relatives said, was viewed as an attention grabber to get his wife back home.
Singh added: “This really hurting me. I considered that child my own.”
For those who may be depressed, Singh said: “This life go on. People don’t live for the future anymore, they only live for the hour.”