A Canal Number One businessman is now injured after he was beaten and shot early yesterday morning when armed bandits invaded his home and escaped with a quantity cash and jewellery.
Dhaniram Tribeni called ‘Ram,’ 36, of Lot 13 Dudley Park, Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara was gun-butted, beaten about his body and shot to his right hand. He was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital before being transferred to the Woodlands Hospital where he was treated and sent away.
The incident occurred around 1 am yesterday, after Tribeni, his wife, Shivanie and their two school-aged children were awakened by the sounds of intruders in their home. The children, who were sleeping in a separate bedroom, hid themselves, but heard the entire ordeal.
The Guyana Police Force, in a press release, said Tribeni was awakened by two male suspects, both of whom were armed with handguns. They demanded cash and jewellery and during this process, the businessman was shot to his right hand, the police said
The suspects made good their escape with undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery that was handed over to them.
Stabroek News understands that one of the men had a rag tied around his face while the other was unmasked. They escaped on foot through the backyard, leaving their footprints in the soil. Also discovered was a single round.
Up to late last evening the police continued to search for the men.
Shivanie Tribeni said the incident has left her family traumatized to the extent that they are afraid to stay in their home. They have since been seeking shelter at a relative.
Her daughter, she said, was scheduled to sit her end-of-term examination yesterday but because of the trauma she was called to pick her up from school.
She explained that her husband has been a poultry farmer for a number of years during which he was attacked several times. However, yesterday’s home invasion was the first.
She said they were asleep when the gunmen barged into their bedroom and gun-butted Dhaniram to his head. They woke up and both started to scream, but that didn’t stop the bandits since they continuously demanded money.
“My husband told them that we don’t have any more money because they had already took the money we had in the safe downstairs, but they were very determined. They didn’t believe and kept asking for more,” Shivanie said.
She said while one of the men ransacked the room, the other pointed a gun to Dhaniram’s head and threatened to shoot him. He then laced his hands behind his head and the bandit fired a shot which passed through his hand.
He fell to the ground and the men turned their attention her. “I thought my husband dead and they turn to me and I told them I don’t have and I started to scream louder and they decided to escape,” she added.
She then turned the lights on and immediately alerted her relatives who informed the police.
Shivanie was unable say how much money the bandits managed to escape, stating that they had not calculated the day’s sales.
However, she said, the men had also grabbed the keys for the house and Dhaniram vehicle; the keys were discovered in the backdam yesterday by neighbours.
Police investigations are ongoing.
