In a tragic turn of events, 63-year-old Couva resident Vishnu Lalla was discovered dead in a bush area on November 9, just over 24 hours after being abducted from his home in Windsor Park, California. The incident unfolded on the evening of November 8 when Lalla’s wife noticed his grey Toyota Hilux speeding away from their property. Approximately 30 minutes later, she received a ransom call demanding $100,000 for his safe return by midnight. Despite the demand, Lalla’s fate was sealed when police found his pickup truck destroyed by fire on George Street in Esperanza, California. Following intelligence leads, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit conducted a search in a forested area near Brechin Castle Road, Couva, where they discovered Lalla’s body with his hands bound and a gunshot wound to his head. A nine-millimetre shell casing was found at the scene, and an autopsy has been ordered at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. The community has expressed shock and sorrow, with one resident describing the Lalla family as among the kindest in the area. Lalla’s wife has declined to comment on the incident.