A couple of 49 Adelphi, East Canje was gun-butted and broadsided with a cutlass after two masked bandits broke into their home around 1:15 am yesterday and carted off cash and jewellery totaling over $200,000.
The bandits also fired two shots in the air and threatened to shoot Drupaul ‘Doka’ Itwaroo, 49, and his wife, Phulmatie Itwaru, 47. They beat them severely and they had to be treated at the New Amsterdam Hospital for their injuries.
Drupaul received stitches to his forehead for a wound that he suffered from the butt of a “long gun.” One of his fingers was also slashed after he tried to wrest the cutlass away from one of the bandits. The masked bandits gained access to the house by climbing onto an old fridge and a shed and smashing two louver windows in the couple’s bedroom. One of them then fired a shot in the air after Phulmatie started screaming upon seeing them.
The pellets from the gun pierced the ceiling and cut down a mosquito net that was hung over the woman’s bed.
Her screams attracted the attention of Drupaul who left during the night to sleep in another bedroom because there was a “blackout and the place was hot.”
The bandits who carried flashlights “viced” the man as he came out to investigate and demanded cash and jewellery. Phulmatie told them that they were in a room in the lower flat of the house.
They ‘chucked’ the couple as they were being taken down the outer stairway. They also hit the woman on her head and back with the gun because she fumbled with the lock and could not open the door fast enough.
The bandits also fired a shot in the air to ward off the neighbours.
Drupaul got angry because he could not stand to see the bandits beating his wife.
He then grabbed the one with the cutlass and tried in vain to wrest the weapon away from him. But he called out to his accomplice for help saying, ‘this man gat me bad hey.’
The other bandit then defeated Drupaul by gun-butting his forehead and kicking him to his groin. The blow, he said got him “bassidy;” the bandits also threatened to shoot him. The bandit pointed the gun at him but he used the other bandit as a shield.
Phulmatie also begged them not to hurt her and husband and promised to give them whatever she has. They snatched a gold band she was wearing and attempted to bite her finger to remove her wedding ring but she willingly gave it to them.
Afraid for her life, she escaped through some thick bushes and sought refuge at a neighbour’s house.
The bandits ransacked the flat and found more jewellery, $5,000 in cash along with a wallet with some more money.
They then ordered Drupaul to hand over the jewellery “yuh does wear when yuh driving the car.” He told them he did not have any and they continued to beat him and again threatened to shoot him.
After the bandits left the neighbours ran over and took them to NA hospital.
Meanwhile, the man said the electricity was restored to the area just after the bandits left.
He was pleased with the response of the police who recovered a set of pellets from the scene.
He felt that the bandits were familiar with the house because they went straight to their bedroom.
