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The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha has proposed renaming Shiva Boys’ Hindu College the Basdeo Panday Shiva Boys’ Hindu College.

The announcement was made by SDMS secretary-general Vijay Maharaj at the SDMS’s central executive meeting yesterday.

The secondary school is located at Clarke Road, Penal, in the constituency of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, political leader of the United National Congress.

Addressing members of the executive, Mr. Maharaj said, that on behalf of the Maha Sabha he was proposing a resolution, a gesture that resonates with the spirit of their community and pays homage to a leader that paved the way for many.

He said, they propose to rename the Shiva Boys’ Hindu College the Basdeo Panday Shiva Boys.

Maharaj said, the renaming of the school was a lasting tribute to Mr. Panday, who had struggled for a better nation.

He said, it was also a tribute to the first East Indian and Hindu Prime Minister.

Mr. Panday died at a hospital in Florida on Monday, at age 90.

Asked to respond to the announcement yesterday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said, Panday’s legacy can be inspirational to young people in this country.

The minister said, Shiva Boys’ is a denominational school, so the SDMS can make the decision.

The education ministry is brought under fire, for failure to deliver back pay to some 1000 teachers.

Yesterday TTUTA’s President Martin Lum Kin told the government, the commitment to give all teachers their back pay, must be honored.

The head of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association, described the action as a major disappointment. 

Mr. Lum Kin said, some of the affected teachers were called to the ministry yesterday. 

He is hoping all payments are made by the end of the week.

Further, Mr. Lumkin wants a timeline regarding payment to teachers, who retired during the holidays. 

Mr. Lum Kin believes, the Ministry of Education and Finance have had sufficient time to ensure all teachers, received their back pay.

The funeral of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, will be held next Tuesday morning, at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando.

Mr. Panday was born in St Julien Village, Princes Town, and attended primary and secondary schools in the southland.

Mr. Panday’s body arrived at Piarco International Airport from Florida, USA, on a Caribbean Airlines flight, just after 6.30 p.m yesterday.

On arrival, the coffin was draped with the Trinidad and Tobago national flag by members of the defence force.

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister, Dr. Amery Browne was present at the airport for the arrival of the body.

Shooting incidents in several parts of the country in Tunapuna, Diego Martin and Morvant, are now engaging the attention of the police.

In the latest incident two persons were shot at in Bagaettle around 8:46 last night.

The identities of the victims have not yet been released.

Residents called the police.

When lawmen arrived they found the body of two persons lying on the roadway.

Around the same time a shooting occurred near the Methodist church in Morvant.

One person is reported to have been shot.

And earlier around 8 o’clock in Tunapun five persons were shot at, near the Tunapuna market.

Two are dead and three hospitalized.

We are told officers were called to the shooting and found the five persons, including a woman nursing gun shot wounds.

Police are now investigating theses latest gun crimes.

In the pre-dawn hours of yesterday, Tenisha Jackie is fatally shot.

Police reports say, 19-year-old miss Jackie and a male companion were seated in a vehicle at the corner of Carlos Street, on Ariapita avenue, when they were attacked.

The details regarding the time of the assault are unclear, but reports say, a vehicle drove past the duo, stopped and the occupants opened fire. 

Miss Jackie and the man sustained several bullet wounds about their bodies.

The assailants then sped off.

Police were called to the scene and the victims were rushed for emergency care.

However, reports say, as doctors tried to save her life, Miss Jackie succumbed to her wounds.

The male victim remains warded.

His diagnosis is unknown at this time.

Meanwhile investigations continue into the murder of 41 year old Adunde Telemaque.

Mr. Telemaque was gunned down in Belmont on Monday.

His demise came on the heels of that of a local dance hall artiste.

Police say, Kerrem small, also known as “Wan Dan” and Kelon, was killed in Tobago.

He was the island’s first murder victim for 2024.

Reports say, Mr. Small was in the company of friends at Patience Hill on Monday afternoon, when several explosions were heard.

Officers arrived at the scene and rushed the entertainer to hospital, where he died while being attended to.

The murder toll now stands at 5 for 2024, comparatively to four for the same period last year.

Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday will be given a state funeral.

Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds confirms this.

Mr. Panday, who served as the country’s fifth Prime Minister, and had a long-illustrious public career, was 90 years old at the time of his death.

He died at a hospital in Jacksonville Florida on Monday, where he had been seeking medical care.

The Panday family has accepted the government of Trinidad and Tobago’s offer of a state funeral, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley confirmed yesterday.

It will be the first state funeral conducted under Hindu rites.

Mr. Panday was the first Hindu to hold the office of Prime Minister.

The last state funeral was that of former Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, which was done under Anglican rites.

The body of Panday, who died in Florida, USA, is expected to be brought back to Trinidad tonight.

Implicit in the arrangements, for the state funeral is that the cost of this repatriation is being borne by the state.

The body normally lies in state, in a state funeral, but the Hindu tradition would have to be determined.

The venue is still being worked out and a date is still to be fixed.

The killer of two women is captured.

He is a member of the Trinidad and Tobago defence force.

Reports say, the search and capture took place in bushes at temple village, Blanchisseuse.

Confirmation of the apprehension was made by, the head of the western division Sean Henry.

Supt. Henry also said, the suspect was taken to the homicide bureau, and also thanked those who assisted in his capture.

The incident occurred at shore lands, Point Cumana at 11:40 am yesterday.

Newscentre five understands the suspect, well known to both women, is the estranged husband of one of the victims. 

The suspect, police say, was recently instructed by the court via a restraining order to stay away from his wife.

However, yesterday he reportedly jumped a wall to the home and began firing shots at them.

The mother and daughter were reportedly shot at close range, several times

They died at the scene.

An assurance from the Trinidad and Tobago police service that no stone will be left unturned in probing the gun attack, which claimed the lives of four people including a female onlooker, identified as Lana Sahadeo.

The others killed are 26 year old Damien Chris his 31 year old brother Levi Chris and 31 year old Jerry Hollingsworth.

The assault on the trio began in broad daylight on the westbound lane of the Churchill Roosevelt highway, yesterday afternoon.

Divisional commander for the north central division Richard Smith, told of the incident.

Yesterday, he assured no stone will be left unturned in solving the crime.

As the attackers fired several rounds businesswoman Lana Sahadeo who was at home at the time, was struck by a stray bullet.

One man was reportedly killed on the highway as he fled, while another was found slumped motionless over the wheel of the crashed vehicle.

A 34-year-old police constable Sidney Roberts is to appear virtually before the Port-of-Spain magistrates’ court today, charged in connection with murder of two siblings and the shooting of another man.

The incident occurred on December 17^th, at the Courts Mega Store car park in El Socorro, San Juan.

A TTPS release says, Pc Roberts was last attached to the homicide bureau of investigations.

He was charged on Christmas day.

He is alleged to have murdered siblings, 33-year-old Simeon Lessey and 35-year-old Siniaya Lessey and to have shot another man, with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Police say, Mr. Roberts was arrested in an exercise conducted by the professional standards bureau, and was later charged following advice on December 25th, from the director of public prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, Sc.

The release says, the enquiry was bolstered by officers of the PSB, the research analytical unit and legal officer Ramjag of the HBI Region II.

According to police reports, just after midday on December 17th, several units attached to the NED responded to reports of loud explosions at the Courts Mega Store car park, in El Socorro.

The TTPS says, upon arrival at the scene, first responders met an off-duty police officer and observed several people lying on the ground nursing wounds.

The release says, two of the wounded succumbed to their injuries while others were taken for medical treatment at hospital.