Suspects in kidnap-slay of ‘Bombay’ speak Capiceño dialect
Suspects in the kidnap-slay of an Indian national in Sara, Iloilo over the weekend hail from Capiz province.
This SPO4 Eddie Onato, police investigator of Dumarao PNP, surmised after the suspects who negotiated with the victim’s family spoke in the Capiz dialect.
The victim’s family reported that during their negotiation, the suspect said “yanda na kinahanglan ihatag ang ransom (we need the ransom money now)”.
“Yanda” which means now is being spoken only by the Capiceños.
Businessman Naiv Singh, 45, of Gran Plains Subdivision, Jaro, Iloilo City, was found dead a day after he was abducted at Sara town, Iloilo.
Singh’s body was found at 6:00 in the morning of Sunday at the far-flung Sitio Ulang, Brgy. Sibariwan, Dumarao, Capiz.
According to Dumarao Police Station, the victim bore five stab wounds on his body and his head was obviously struck with a hard object.
On board his Mitsubishi Adventure, the victim was abducted by four men at around 5:00 p.m. of Saturday while Singh was collecting payment for his lending business.
The vehicle remains missing, as of press time.
Jagraj Singh, brother of the victim, said that the kidnappers demanded P7 million for Naiv’s release but he appealed to reduce the ransom to P1 million and he promised to give the amount 5:00 p.m. of May 30, 2010.
In the end, however, the family opted not to give a single cent after learning that the victim was killed.
Reports indicated that Singh could have been murdered on the night of May 29.
When his body was found the next day, police booked the incident as “found cadaver.”
But when a probe was conducted, it was known that Singh went missing and believed to have been kidnapped the day before.
Onato said that several witnesses heard the victim shouting for help on the evening of May 29 at the said place.
According to the police, the abductors who chased the victim were also heard by witnesses saying “malagyo ka pa ha”.
Meanwhile, PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas confirmed that the family did not coordinate with them about Singh’s disappearance and the alleged negotiation between them and the kidnappers.
“We only knew about the victim’s disappearance after it was learned that a cadaver was found. According to the relatives, he was abducted and the suspects demanded some money from them,” he added.
The family did not clarify, though, if the demand should be construed as a ransom for the victim’s release.
Aside from a kidnap-for-ransom incident, some reports claimed that Singh was abducted over some unsettled financial dealings.
The said motive is yet to be confirmed by neither his family nor the police investigators.
Meanwhile, Cuevas said that they are conducting an investigation in both Iloilo and Capiz provinces.
“It’s a joint investigation by the Capiz and Iloilo police provincial offices,” Cuevas confirmed.
He also belied reports about the presence of organized kidnapping group in the area.
“There was no report of the presence of kidnappers from other areas or provinces who are in the region right now. The suspects could be a new group, which decided to venture into kidnap-for-ransom activities,” he added.
In Iloilo province, Cuevas believed that known kidnap group are somehow crippled because of the incarceration of their leaders.
Police also did not monitor that these old groups will launch activities like robbery hold-up or abduction.
