Sharma beaten and tortured
Police up to yesterday said they have not been able to make contact with Wednesday night’s kidnapped victim Dev Sharma of Agricola, Greater Georgetown.

Sharma who managed to escape from his kidnappers, who took him to the village of Buxton is reportedly out of danger and is now at an undisclosed location.

A statement issued yesterday by the victim’s Attorneys-at-law Pooran and Totaram said their client has related that his abduction was entirely an act of banditry.

He said he was taken to Buxton from Agricola in a motorcar on the public road.

According to them, Sharma reported that he was burnt, beaten and otherwise tortured by his kidnappers when he refused to plea for his life.

He explained that his escape resulted from a dispute amongst his captors as to who would have the privilege to kill him. The victim was told that notwithstanding the payment of a ransom he would be killed, his Attorneys related.

They said his escape involved a bit more than jumping out of the window and running away.

It was also reported that Guyanese of both African and Indian decent stood guard over him at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) and at various points in the compound awaiting the arrival of his father.

He said contact was made with the Police at Vigilance, but they claimed they had no vehicle to come to the GSA where he sought refuge after he had escaped.

 

 

From: Guyana National Liberation Party <gnlpleader@yahoo.com>

To: Guyanese@yahoogroups.com

Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 12:38:13 -0800 (PST)

Subject: [Guyanese] Director of Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Kidnapped

Fellow Guyanese, The Director of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dev Sharma of 65,Remus Street,Agricola, EBD was kidnapped from his home, his wife Maria Sharma raised an alarm and she was shot,she is in Georgetown Hospital.

 Dev Sharma was badly burnt,beaten and tortured by his kidnappers in Buxton.The kidnappers demanded $1M US Dollars for his release,luckily, Dev Sharma escaped and jumped from a window and ran into the cane fields and ended up in Mon Repos, he called the Police but they said that they had no vehicles.His father picked him up and took him at an undisclosed location.

GNLP Leader.