“Anyway you got this child, bring he back...I beg yuh. Please bring he back...anyway he deh, I kindly beg yuh, bring he back alive.” This was the plea yesterday from Dulie Gopaul, the grandmother of kidnap victim Vivickanan Nandalall.

Nandalall, 20, of Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, was snatched last Thursday evening after he was asked to pick up someone at Bachelor’s Adventure, two villages away. His car, PGG 3846, was later found abandoned on the railway embankment at Annandale.

Up to press time last night, relatives of the young man had still not received any word from his abductors. The last contact was made early Saturday morning when family members dropped off $1M ransom.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a release yesterday, said Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj, who has been in regular contact with the family, has assured the party that the Anti- Kidnapping Unit of the police force is taking the necessary measures towards the safe return of the taxi driver.

Even as family members continue to hope and follow leads for Nandalall’s safe return, rumours began to spread yesterday that another East Coast Demerara resident had been snatched.

Initial reports reaching this newspaper stated that a 49-year-old canecutter of Annandale was kidnapped yesterday morning. Someone had called the man’s wife at around 1:30 pm demanding a $2M ransom for his release.

However, when Stabroek News turned up at the man’s home shortly after 3 pm the canecutter was there, surrounded by relatives and friends, discussing what turned out to be a hoax.

The canecutter, who asked to remain anonymous, told this newspaper that he was in the backdam with several colleagues, when his son turned up and told him that someone was claiming that he (the father) was kidnapped. The young man reportedly explained that while on the embankment road, someone approached him and said, “Yuh daddy just get kidnap”.

The young man immediately rushed home and while telling his mother what had transpired, someone called the house and demanded $2M ransom. While the man’s wife called the police, the son rushed to the backlands where to his relief he found his father at work.

According to the cane cutter, some of his friends, after hearing what had happened, advised him to remain where they were as a precaution, but three older men offered to follow him home, via another path.

Following the incident, Commissioner of Police Floyd McDonald issued “a strong warning to persons who are making calls claiming that their relatives are being kidnapped.”

According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA): “This came in light of an Annandale, East Coast Demerara, resident who received a hoax call claiming that her husband was kidnapped, in the canefield located in Buxton backlands. The woman called the police force, which dispatched police to the Buxton backlands, where they found the husband safe and carrying out his farming activities.”

The police are investigating the call, but persons are being urged to ignore rumours “about alleged criminal activities” which GINA said, have been surfacing since the abduction of Nandalall.

“We are warning persons to desist from such conduct because such action would result in increasing tension between neighbouring communities,” the release quoted McDonald as saying.

PPP Region Four Member of Parliament, Neil Kumar, and representatives of the Indian Arrival Committee visited Nandalall’s relatives yesterday. The PPP said it empathised with Nandalall’s family.

“Mr. Neil Kumar visited the family to convey the Party’s concerns over the incident and assured them of full support of the safe return of Vivickanan. The Party once again strongly condemns all such criminal activities and supports the law enforcement agencies in their efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.”

The party is urging all citizens not to let their guard down and be constantly vigilant of criminal elements.