Jealall Singh, the owner of a shop which was robbed in Goed Fortuin, West Demerara on Wednesday has expressed unhappiness with the police response to the matter.
According to Singh, he had left home earlier that day to run some business errands. His wife, Yvonne Singh and his brother, Preamlall Singh were at home at the time of the incident.
“A gentleman came in to buy beverages wholesale. When I am not home, I tell them no to out and sell unless you know the person.”
He recalled that it was after this sale that the three men entered his property and forced open the door in his shop. Singh opined that this was a well-orchestrated robbery since one of them stood watch at his gate and the other two went into the property, forcing their way through the shop doors, and hitting his brother in the head, in the process.
The bandits then made their way into Singh’s property where they encountered his wife, Yvonne Singh. They then tied them up and covered their faces with white bed sheet. The men then proceeded to ransack the house, taking some cash and jewellery in the process. Singh estimated that he was robbed of $40,000 in phone cards and at least $50,000 in cash from the day’s sales, along with other change that was in the shop.
The bandits then entered the couple’s bedroom where they took the wife and demanded that she show them the location of the other valuables. In the process, on of the robbers cuffed the wife in the face while the other ransacked the house.
However, soon after another person came to the shop. “Another guy came to the shop; they took him and tied him up too. After he was let go, the customer screamed, alerting others of the situation, which then prompted the robbers to make good their escape. They had a car waiting for them,” Singh said.
After the neighbours started rendering assistance to the family, the police were called. Singh noted his dissatisfaction with the way the police handled the matter. “They could have apprehended the suspects; they took long to reach.”
Recounting the events, he said that they had called the police outpost, but no ranks were available at the time.
They managed to contact the La Grange police station and the police attended the home and took the wife and the brother to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. They left soon after. This caused Singh to express his disappointment with the police, saying, “The police left them there [hospital].”
He went on to say that the treatment at the hospital was no different. The female doctor on duty asked his wife, “What you come here for?” To which his wife responded, “The police brought me here.”
Singh says he hopes the police will take this incident seriously and plans to reach out to the Ministry of Health concerning the doctor. “I am disappointed in the way it was handled.”
