Karim "shocked" at murder of relative; returns home from NY trip

Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim aborted his official visit to New York Monday and returned home after learning of Sunday's murder of his relative, Neeshad Ali in Carapichaima in Central Trinidad.

Ali was hacked to death at his home and his wife and child kidnapped.

Read the story: Police rescue wife, child of murdered man; Warner pledges to fight to hang murderers

Ali was Karim's second cousin. The minister expressed "shock and horror" and called for swift and effective justice.

Karim's ministerial colleague Jack Warner visited the crime scene after the murder on Sunday and reiterated his call for the execution of convicted murderers, saying he would not back away from that position.

On Monday Ali's father and brother supported that position. "We support Minister Jack Warner's call to resume hanging," retired school teacher Shan Ali told reporters.

Within hours of the murder police rescued Ali's wife, Laila and her one-year-old daughter, who remain in protective custody. So far police have detained six suspects, including three women.

Two of the suspects have been identified as painters whom Ali had hired to do some work at his home.

Karim told reporters the time has come for serious action to effectively deal with crime in the country.

"I think it's time the country takes a swift look at how justice must be dealt with, with these people. While we would commend the police...there's no substitute for life."

He added, "We never knew these kinds of crime in Carapichaima. And obviously, these things are committed by people who come into your house to work and see what you have and just decide they want what you have.

"This society must change and it must respond to it, and justice as I said must be swift, and this is not only because he is my cousin. This is because all those people who have been killed."

"We are going to do our best as far as possible to rid the country of this level of insecurity. The criminals are running haywire in this country and that has to be stopped," Karim said.