Hindu devotees and followers of a well-known Pundit in central Trinidad, Head Pujarie Sunil Ragbirsingh were yesterday left in shock and indescribable grief after learning that their beloved leader was killed during a home invasion at his home at Five Rivers in Arouca on Saturday night.
Ragbirsingh had just returned to his Sampath Street home when he walked into a robbery in progress where three of his relatives were tied up and robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry. He had conducted three prayers during the day for devotees and had just reached home. The incident occurred just after 10 pm. Ragbirsingh was the first person to answer the call for a Kali Yatra in T&T.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, one of the victims, who wished not to be named, said he remains traumatised over the incident.
He said he locked up all doors and windows to the house before retiring to bed, “actually I was still waking when I heard strange noises coming from outside my bedroom door but inside the house. I listened for a while and then decided to go and check. That is when I saw two men with guns standing there. They tied up my wife and I with extension cords and then took us to a room where my daughter (Ragbirsingh’s wife) was already tied up.”
“It is very strange to me how the men— there were three of them—inside my house. I was sure that I locked the door. They were talking to another man who was standing on the road in front of the house,” he added.
The victim said that when the thieves were leaving that was when Ragbirsingh came through the front door into the living room area, “I feel, maybe when they were leaving, the men, who had on face coverings, must have removed it when they were leaving and when Sunil walked in he probably saw their faces and that was when they shot him once in the chest. He fell right there and died.”
Ragbirsingh had no children and was only married three years ago. He was described as “the best husband ever,” and “the most humble and kind person.”
“He was a full time Pundit and loved what he did. Imagine he just came home from conducting prayers and was killed. How sad. How terrifying is this to happen in your own home,” Ragbirsingh’s relative said.
Ragbirsingh’s last prayers was conducted at the Endeavour Temple. A devotee, who attended that prayers wrote: “Last night (Saturday) at the Endeavour Temple, Pundit Sunil Ragbirsingh sang the Hanuman Chalisa praising Lord Hanuman…this was his last glory to the Lord before he left the Mandir to go to his home in Arouca were he died.”
In separate incidents, police are also investigating another murder that took place in Champs Fleurs and a shooting incident in Morvant which left two men critically wounded.
In the Champs Fleurs incident, according to a police report, at about 11 pm an unidentified man was gunned down while standing at the Corner of Eastern Main Road and Mt D’or Road, Champs Fleurs.
In the earlier incident, at about 7 pm two men were ambushed while filling gas in their car at a gas station near the Barataria roundabout.
The victims were identified as Collin Henry and Aaron Warner, of Coconut Drive, Morvant.
Police said they were both shot multiple times and are remain warded in critical conditions at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Investigations are continuing into all incidents.