One person remains in custody over the shooting death of a 58-year-old Albion man on Sunday in a home invasion.
Gowchand Budhu, 58, a watchman at Albion Primary School, was shot and killed at his residence, Lot 636 Topo, Albion, Corentyne, Berbice, while his wife Parbatie Budhu, was beaten. Parbatie operates a grocery out of her home. The bandits escaped empty-handed.
According to neighbours, the attack occurred around 20:30 hrs on Sunday. One neighbour told Stabroek News that she heard “four gunshots, groaning and licks firing”.
The daughter of the deceased, Kamla Budhu, stated that she lives a few houses down in the street and was at church with her family when she received a message around 21:30 hrs that bandits had attacked her parents. She said that her mother told her that she was in the bathroom taking a shower and after she stepped out she saw two men masked, armed with guns, only wearing briefs and covered with mud. According to the daughter, Parbatie sounded an alarm after which she was dealt lashes by one of the bandits. Parbatie also told her daughter, before being admitted in the hospital, that after sustaining the lashes, she heard Gowchand’s footsteps as he was running to go downstairs. She fainted afterwards.
Gowchand was the holder of two licensed firearms, a pistol and a shotgun.
Arnold Dewlal, son in law of the couple, said that after he received the message and arrived at the home, there was already a crowd. When he went upstairs he saw his father-in-law lying dead on the ground and his mother-in-law sitting on the chair next to the body. According to Dewlal, the dead man had four visible gunshots wounds, “both his left side and right side stomach, bottom his navel and his right ear”. He also recalled seeing one of the man’s firearms next to his body. He said that Parbatie had a lot of mud and blood about her body. He then rushed her to the hospital. Parbatie sustained injuries to her head, back and face.
According to relatives, the bandits had to have swum across the trench at the back of the house and jumped both back fences in order to enter.
Regional Chairman, Region 6, David Armogan visited the home of the deceased on Monday to sympathise with the family.
