THE families of murdered cousins, Jerome and Dale Ramsahai, whose bodies were found in a burning car in Arima last Friday, have asked Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to help fast-track the identification process on the charred remains of the men.

Persad-Bissessar visited the homes of the cousins at Sueradge Trace, Debe on Saturday night.

The remains of the cousins were said to be unidentifiable and the use of DNA profiling, using blood and tissue samples from relatives, is to be used.

The bodies can only be returned to next of kin when legally satisfying proof of identity is established.

Hours after the bodies were found, DNA samples were taken from brothers Vishnu and Bhimal Ramsahai.

Vishnu Ramsahai is the father of Jerome and Bhimal Ramsahai is the father of Dale. Relatives were told that the process can take as much a month to complete.

The Express learnt that the Ramsahais appealed to Persad-Bissessar to have the process completed this week so that they could be allowed to hold a funeral for the men.

Relatives said the Ramsahais were known to the Prime Minister through attorney Liana Ramsahai, who was screened as a candidate for the United National Congress for the seat of the Oropouche West constituency for the 2010 general election. Liana Ramsahai is currently deputy chairman of State-owned TV and radio broadcaster Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG). She was the sister of Jerome, 27, a loans officer with Scotia Bank, and cousin of Dale, 28, an information technology coordinator with Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries.

The cousins, who shared an apartment in Port of Spain, last spoke with relatives last Thursday afternoon.

The bodies were found in the trunk of a burning car in the Heights of Guanapo, Arima at around 12.30 a.m. on Friday.

Pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes did an initial examination of the bodies at Forensic Science Centre at St James.

Forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov told the Express yesterday the bodies were "burnt beyond any possible recognition".

"When we are dealing with cases like these it may be very hard to find the injuries to the body," said Alexandrov. "The major point now of this forensic examination is identification, which is through DNA profiling."

He said the high temperatures to which the bodies were exposed would pose a difficulty in finding the cause of death.

"Sometimes the high temperatures on a body can mimic an injury," said Alexandrov.

"Probably the police can find some leads that can assist Dr Des Vignes to conclude the cause of death."