United States-based Guyanese Ramesh Puran, who returned to mark his father’s one- year death anniversary, was fatally shot during a home invasion at Belvedere, Corentyne on Thursday night.
Puran, 49, of Ozone Park, New York, died on his way to the Port Mourant Hospital after the attack, which took place sometime between 9PM and 9:30PM.
Puran was robbed of a quantity of jewellery that he was wearing by the robbers, who also terrorised other members of his family during their five-minute-long ordeal. Police spokesman Ivelaw Whittaker said that Devika Ramotar, a cousin of the dead man, was also chopped to her head by the bandits.
The attack occurred at the home of Darmattie Seecharran, Puran’s niece, whom he was visiting when the four robbers, armed with a shotgun and three cutlasses, barged in and demanded cash and jewellery.
Seecharran told Stabroek News that she was nursing her 10-month-old daughter when two men entered the room. She said both men were armed with cutlasses and one pounced on her, placed a cutlass to her neck and told her not to scream. The visibly-traumatised mother also said the other man took her daughter and placed a knife to her neck as well.
According to Seecharran, she followed the men’s instructions and kept quiet. She said the men asked her for the money and the jewellery and she told them “the next room have it,” indicating to the room where Puran and his wife, Sandra, were staying. The woman said while the men turned their attention to that room, her aunt had heard the men asking for money and jewellery and she locked the door and then jumped out of the window to escape.
Stabroek News was told that the woman removed the louvre panes from the window and jumped some 20 feet to the ground. She did not sustain any serious injuries but was seeking medical attention at a private doctor up to yesterday afternoon.
Seecharran added that she managed to escape and sound an alarm. At that point, she said her husband, Danny Narine, went to her rescue. She told him what happened but when he went upstairs to check no one was in the house.
Narine related that he had left to transport some relatives to their homes but while on the way he heard noise coming from his home. Upon returning, he saw his aunt jumping through a window.
Narine stated that he rushed to her aid. “Thief man a kill them people up stairs deh,” he recalled her saying.
According to Narine, after he did not see any of the perpetrators when he went into the house, he checked on Puran, who was in the living room. He explained that Puran was lying on the floor and when they turned him they noticed a hole in the region of his shoulder.
Seecharran stated that she did not hear any explosion during the robbery and she was unaware of her uncle’s injury until he was being aided by her husband and her aunt. The man was immediately rushed to the hospital by neighbours, who went to the family’s aid but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Stabroek News was told that police arrived promptly at the scene after being alerted about the robbery but they were unable to make any arrests. The bandits fled after they robbed Puran’s of his jewellery.
Puran had been in the country since last Friday with his mother, his wife, a sister and a son to perform a shraaddha to mark his father’s one-year death anniversary. He was due to perform another ritual for his mother-in-law yesterday.
