Even after his death by hanging 17 years ago, fear still lurks within the rural village of Piparo and where notorious kingpin Dole Chadee once owned several properties and conducted many illegal operations.
June 4 marked 17 years since Chadee, who was born Nankissoon Boodram, was hanged for the murder of the Baboolal family in Williamsville.
But even though he has been six feet under for almost two decades in a prison cemetery, villagers, young and old, were cautious about what they said about him.
Apart from their fear to speak freely, one common sentiment was that the drug trade never stopped. Villagers said a gang of youths has been selling illegal rum, guns and drugs. None of those whom we spoke to wanted their names published or their photographs taken.
A sense of eeriness pervaded the mid-morning air throughout the village and hardly anyone was seen walking the road when the Sunday Guardian visited on Friday.
At the start of Pascal Road is an abandoned, majestic-looking temple with towering walls. It looked dull, dirty and weathered. The multi-million dollar temple was abandoned after Chadee was arrested in 1994. He also had a house on the temple's compound where he spent most of his nights. Today, a nearby hardware rents the compound from one of Chadee's sons to store material.
Chadee, who would have been 64 this year, was well known for his drug links in the underworld but was never convicted for drug offences. Instead, he and eight other men in his gang were convicted for the 1994 murders of Deo, Rookmin, Hamilton and Monica Baboolal of Pooran Street, Williamsville.
Chadee was married to Ann Marie Boodram with whom he had two sons–Shiva and Sharma–who live Piparo. Shiva operates his father's farm rearing goat and sheep and was not at home or at the farm.
One villager said Ann Marie died two years ago in England. Chadee also had two other children with common-law wife, Chandra, who all live abroad. Rumour is that Chadee also fathered children with a cousin and a maid.
Nothing changed...
it's a continuation
One man, who spoke for close to ten minutes about life in the village 20 years ago said, "Please don't put my name because they can come and burn down my house."
The elderly man was picking mangoes on Friday morning. He said: "To be frank, nothing has changed with the drug business. "It is still going on on a moderate scale. It's just a continuation from that time."
The elderly resident added that while he never had any interaction with Chadee, his understanding was that people were not fearful not of him. He said Chadee used to talk to everyone and was "a good guy to everyone." A couple who moved to Piparo about a year ago said they did not know much. The man and woman said there was talk about drugs being sold by a group but they tried "not to deal up."
The man said, "A couple of times there were some house robberies but we feel safe here."
More Info
?The Piparo Empowerment Centre on Dindial Road was opened in 2001 after the State seized the acres of land which Chadee had been squatting on for over ten years. He built two buildings on the sprawling piece of land.
One man said while it was never a dwelling place for Chadee, "it was where the work used to take place."
He said: "You think here used to look this way years ago with road and lights? It was more quiet and anything and everything used to happen inside there."
The State has since built dormitories, kitchens, a multi-purpose area, and dining area for those who go there to be rehabilitated from drugs or other social issues.
