Police last evening were still looking for the members of the armed gang that terrorized a Unity, Mahaica household during an almost hour-long invasion early Monday morning.
A senior police officer told Stabroek News that investigators were working on “some theories.”
Meanwhile, businessman Raajdeo Tahjpaul, who sustained gunshot wounds to the right hand and left leg during the robbery, was discharged from hospital yesterday midday. His stepdaughter, Chandranie Pargass told this newspaper, that his leg wound is still bleeding and he is in obvious pain. She added that the doctors were able to remove the bullet that was lodged in his arm. “He trying to mek he self happy but you could see the pain he deh in, especially when he walk,” the woman said sadly. She said that he is now staying with a relative while her mother, Sumintra Hemwant, who was badly beaten with cutlasses during the attack, was with her.
According to Pargass, her mother returned to the home with relatives to clean yesterday morning and fainted. She said that the incident has affected Hemwant badly and the woman is in terrible pain. She said that because of her condition, they were forced to seek private medical attention. She said that her mother is unable to sleep well as she is constantly groaning and has a fever. Pargass also informed that police have started to patrol the area at nights.
Police had said that Tahjpaul and his wife were outside in their yard as he was preparing to leave for work when they were confronted by the bandits, two of whom were armed with handguns. Tahjpaul was shot to his left leg and he and his wife were taken into the home which was ransacked by the men, who are reported to have taken away $800,000 and a quantity of jewellery. The armed men then assaulted the two victims with their cutlasses and shot Tahjpaul to his right hand before escaping.
A distraught Hemwant had recalled hollering for help but no one came to her assistance. Tahjpaul, who transports greens from the Mahaica Creek to Bourda market in the city, leaves his home around 3 am every day. The bandits apparently knew this as when he opened the front door, he was confronted by a gunman. The gang ransacked the couple’s two-storey house looking for valuables and repeatedly hit Hemwant with cutlasses. The couple’s nine-year-old daughter managed to flee to a neighbour’s house during the incident.
