Bandit
attack leaves one dead
- another injured
By Melissa Johnson (with
additional reporting by Samuel Whyte)
The man blamed the incompetence of the judicial
system for the lawlessness
WELLINGTON PARK, CORENTYNE – What was intended to be an early
Monday morning robbery at the home of a businessman at
Wellington Park, Corentyne, has left one person dead and another
hospitalised.
Dead is 47-year-old Arjune Gobin, a security guard attached to
Nand Persaud and Company Limited of Number Thirty-six Village,
on the Corentyne. He was shot in the head and pronounced dead on
arrival at the Port Mourant Hospital.
Guard
killed in chilling Corentyne
robbery Mohamed
Baksh Shot Arjune-Singh-executed
Seeraj-HIV-counsellor
A bullet grazed his employer, 46-year-old Rajendra Persaud of
Number Thirty-six Village in the head. He was subsequently taken
to the New Amsterdam Hospital and is now a patient at a private
hospital in Georgetown.
Rajendra Persaud, in PKK 3482, was rushing to his sister’s
assistance after gunmen had invaded their home about two miles
away at Wellington Park about 01:45 hours yesterday.
The security guard had apparently accompanied him in another
vehicle and met his end. When the bandits saw the vehicles
approaching they immediately opened fire on the occupants of the
vehicles.
At a glance, the Ganesh family said that the bandits left empty
handed. Even if something was stolen it has not yet been missed
or is of little value. At the time of the robbery, Vasantie
Ganesh, her son, 20-year old Vivekanand Ganesh and her 14-year
old daughter, Venia Ganesh, were at home. Her husband had left
home just after 01:00
hour and was scheduled to depart Guyana on
a 06:00 hours flight to New York yesterday.
Remarkably, none of the Ganesh family members were injured in
what appeared to be a rampage by the bandits who discharged
rounds to different sections of the house, used
a sledge hammer
and smashed a hole on the concrete wall on the southern side
where the gas station is housed and broke windows as they tried
desperately to gain entry.
The bandits had ample time to commit the act since the nearest
police station is several villages away at Whim.
The family members were able to slip into a section of the home
where the bandits could not reach them despite all efforts. The
interior of the four-bedroom home which is heavily secured was
ransacked, particularly the bedrooms.
The inner stairway alongside the damaged wall and other sections
of the home were covered in sand and what remained of the
concrete blocks used to construct the building. Shattered glass
was scattered mainly to the southern side of the home.
The son, Vivekanand Ganesh, recalled that he had already retired
for the night. He said that he was aroused from his slumber by a
constant pounding. “I get up and went outside (of the room) to
see what was going on, then I heard the gun shots, a lot of
them. I couldn’t count them. I went down on the floor and
crawl and went somewhere…to a room and I hid. I was afraid. I
was thinking about my little sister.”
The wife, 43-year-old Vasantie Ganesh was startled by what
sounded like an explosion about 01:45 hours. “When I get up I
couldn’t believe it was a gun shot, then seconds later the
second shot. The third shot hit a window and after they trying
and they ain’t getting in then is when they start use the sledge
hammer and start working on my daughter’s window
but they couldn’t get in because of the iron
grill.
Sledge hammer
“They couldn’t cut the grill. So they move away from her
room and start breaking the wall next to my daughter room by the
living room….They take about half hour or so breaking the
concrete all the time. When they get the hole in the wall, they
fire shots to the roof to scare we and one of the bullets go
straight through to the front bedroom on the other side of the
house and left a bullet hole.”
Dozens of holes, different sizes were visible on the roof of the
living room. “Me ain’t see nothing…me ain’t see the
bandits…we just hear the shots. The children them did not
scream, they just co-operate and start help me call. Me call me
two brothers, and me husband and then me call back me husband.
They (bandits) ain’t get nothing. They ransack the whole
house.”
Vasantie Ganesh’s brother, Rajendra Persaud responded to her
telephone call almost immediately. “I hear me brother honk he
horn but I wasn’t sure. Then I hear they (bandits) fire shots
and then I ain’t know what happen. A while after when
everything finish I hear me brother come rap on the door and
tell me everything okay. When we open me see he whole skin in
blood.
“The police come in the same time with he. He get shoot
somewhere in he head.”
She explained that she spoke to her brother before he was taken
to the hospital. “When he see that we secure then they carry
he to the hospital. Apparently after they (her brother’s
employees) hear what happen they take a next vehicle and drive
behind me brother.
They woulda just drive pass the house to see what going on but
as soon as the bandits see the vehicle, they start shoot and
they shoot the security guard boy in the vehicle on the road. Me
ain’t see nothing…me ain’t see the bandits…we just hear
the shots. Me brother get shoot in he vehicle”
She is not certain who summoned the police but suggested that
her husband’s cousins across the road or her brothers may have
done so.
Surendra Ganesh, owner of Ganesh Service Station which is
situated between his home and his NPG Packaging and Plastic
Limited business on the Wellington Park Public Road, left home
about 01:00 hours en route to the Cheddi Jagan International
Airport Timehri to embark on his journey overseas.
The 50-year old businessman said he was already at Rising Sun on
the West Coast of Berbice when he learnt what was happening at
his home, “I tell the taxi turn back. When I came everything
finish, police was here.”
The man blamed the incompetence of the judicial
system for the lawlessness that
is taking place in Guyana as he contemplated the manner in which
the bandits penetrated his fortress.
“A criminal break into yuh house, pay the lawyer plenty
money to defend him, get put on a couple ah thousand dollar bail
and he back on the street again. He gone again.”
Commander of
Division ‘B’ of the Guyana Police Force, Assistant
Commissioner Steve Merai
He said the ranks of Division ‘B’ of the Guyana Police Force
did a commendable job, but, “It is left to see how good a job
they did…it’s left to see the results of the work they did
today. The Commander is here right now.”
At Bloomfield Village, relatives and friends of Arjune Gobin
gathered to offer support to his wife and children. He began
working at Nand Persaud and Company Limited two Saturdays ago
and was delighted.
“He was working at a fowl farm at Bloomfield then he decided
to go to Nand Persaud. He was a very good father, everything
about him was nice.” said his 24-year old daughter Ambeak
Gobin.
For several months he was in poor health but recovered, “He
left home about 5 o’clock (17:00 hours) on Saturday for 6
o’clock work. He was smiling as he was going through the gate.
He had on a black shirt; I can’t remember what colour pants he
had on. That was the last time I saw him alive.”
In the wee hours of Monday morning a car pulled up in front of
their home, “My uncle from across the road come out after the
car blowing and talk to them, then he tell my mother dress my
father is not well.”
Forty-five-year old Jenney Gobin left home with the vehicle and
was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, unaware that her husband
was already dead.
It all seems surreal to Mrs. Gobin. “He get on he cap and he
had a hole straight here (forehead). Me want clean he skin. Me
want clean out the blood from he skin and take off them nasty
clothes from he, just clean he up.”
She said he was the lone breadwinner in the family and is
survived by four children, including a son residing overseas.
The youngest is 11 years old.
Commander of Division ‘B’ of the
Guyana Police Force, Assistant Commissioner Steve Merai
said no arrests have been made but based on information
received, the bandits escaped on foot using the bush to the rear
(south) of the premises.
Police recovered a quantity of nine mm spent shells and 12 gauge
cartridges. According to the Commander, some $5,500 was stolen
from the Ganesh’s home.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
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