By CECILY ASSON and LAUREL WILLIAMS Saturday, November 7 2009

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A FAMILY IN GRIEF: Nirvana Rambalack (left) sits next to her boyfriend Anil Mohammed's parents Ellen and Lloyd Mohammed near Mohammed's coffin during ...

RELATIVES of truck owner Rohan “Bobby” Maharaj, 36, who along with two other men perished in the Bailey bridge accident at Macoya on Thursday, yesterday described a statement by Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert that Government will seek to get $500,000 from the owner of the truck, to repair the damaged bridge, as “grossly insensitive.”

A relative who asked not to be identified called on Imbert to apologise for making such a statement when the family was deep in grief over Maharaj’s death. “How could he speak about $500,000 to repair a bridge when three families are now mourning the loss of their loved ones?” the relative asked.

Maharaj, the owner/manager of Bobby’s Stockpile Ltd in Lachoos Road, Penal, together with his neighbours Anil Mohammed, 30, and Kishore Kumar, 30, died when the truck Maharaj was driving, exploded after crashing into the temporary Bailey bridge on the eastbound lane of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. Maharaj was a father of three.

He continued: “Isn’t he even thinking about the young children he left behind?. We are looking at three lives lost, including parents who lost an only child (Mohammed).

“Perhaps if it was a relative of his who had died, he would have thought twice about making that kind of insensitive comment,” the relative said, adding that no one wants a feud with Imbert or bears any animosity towards him.

The relative explained that motor vehicle insurance companies normally take care of matters of such nature. “That is the purpose for having insurance...a process must take place.” The relative said it was shocking that Imbert, could a few hours after the accident, come up with an estimate of the cost to repair the bridge but, “it took the country two weeks to learn the true cost of a national flag.”

Maharaj and Kumar will be cremated at the Shore of Peace at Mosquito Creek today after one funeral service will be held for them both at Maharaj’s home.

Mohammed, a Muslim, was buried yesterday. At the funeral, Imam Ahamad Mohammed told mourners that death is a reality for everyone regardless of age or status. “I grew up in the area and I know Mohammed’s family very well. He had not started to live his life as yet but Allah made the call. You do not have to be sick to die nor too young to die. Today we pray for him,” Ahamad said.

During the service yesterday relatives consoled Ellen and her husband Lloyd Mohammed as they sat in front of the coffin bearing the body of their only child. Also seated near the coffin was Nirvana Rambalack, 29, girlfriend of Mohammed.