- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 30/Aug 03:31

Cunupia PH driver gets bail for acid attack

A Cunupia private-hire driver accused of attempting to murder a woman in Rio Claro was granted $250,000 bail on August 29 after the court denied a prosecution request for more time to obtain criminal record. Renny Ramkissoon, 38, appeared before Master Kimitria Gray, charged in connection to an incident on August 11, in Rio Claro, involving a 20-year-old woman who was doused with muraitic acid while at Naparima Mayaro Road, in the vicinity of Scotiabank. Police prosecutor Sgt Cortez told Gray that the State had not yet received fingerprint records due to system problems and asked for an adjournment. Defence attorney Bhimal Maharajh opposed the request, calling it “alarming” that the records were not yet available despite his client being in custody since August 23. He said Ramkissoon had no pending charges or prior convictions and had filed a writ of habeas corpus. This was later withdrawn with approval from Justice Westmin James. Gray reminded police of their duty to provide the court with information and ruled she was not inclined to grant the adjournment. She ordered that the file be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions by October 10, with an indictment to follow by Dececmber 10, along with witness statements and supporting documents. A status hearing was set for April 21, 2026, and a sufficiency hearing for June 16, 2026. Ramkissoon is to appear at the Port of Spain Virtual Access to Courts Centre for the status hearing. Ramkissoon was released on bail with strict conditions, including reporting to the Cunupia Police Station four days a week, a nightly curfew from 6 pm to 5 am, and a ban on returning to Rio Claro or contacting the alleged victim. Ramkissoon was arrested on August 23 and was charged with attempted murder. According to police, around 3.55 pm on August 11, the alleged victim was standing near Scotiabank Rio Claro when a man in a green CEPEP shirt splashed a liquid on her face, causing burns to her eyes, lips and skin. The attacker fled in a white Toyota Axio, allegedly driven by another man. The alleged victim was taken to the Rio Claro Health Centre for treatment and later transferred to the Sangre Grande General Hospital, where she was hospitalised before being discharged. Investigators said CCTV footage, witness statements and physical evidence, including a bottle of muriatic acid, were recovered at the scene. Police later questioned a suspect who claimed he had only given a ride to a man wearing a CEPEP shirt and insisted he was unaware of the assault, allegedly telling officers “it was the wrong woman they burn.” The post Cunupia PH driver gets bail for acid attack appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.