Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 22, 2010 News
Grover robbery…
By Latoya Giles
The two brothers who were shot when brazen bandits attacked their business place on Saturday night are reportedly in stable conditions.
Yesterday when Kaieteur News visited the two men who are patients in the Male Surgical Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital, they were resting while relatives tended to them.
Sewanand Gopaul, 38, who was shot in his upper left thigh, is also nursing a wound to the head after being hit with a gun. Presently, the man cannot walk because of the tremendous pain in his leg.
His brother, Bhojindar Gopaul, who was shot in the buttocks, did not complain of any pain during the interview.
Sewanand, who was the first to be confronted by the bandits, recounted that shortly after 19:00hrs on Saturday, as the family was closing the business, six armed men invaded the family’s grocery store which is located at Grove, East Bank Demerara.
He said that as soon as the gunmen entered the business place they started shooting indiscriminately. One of the bandits who was armed with a handgun stood at the gate as a lookout.
Gopaul further explained that one of the bandits confronted him first, since he was outside of the store.
“He run up to me and shouted ‘where the money?’ I said we don’t have any money.”
He said that he and the man had a scuffle during which he was shot in the thigh.
The bandits then went inside the family’s home where they confronted the second brother Bhojindar and his parents whose ages are 65 and 58-years old.
Bhojindar said that after the bandits invaded the home, they ordered him to lie face down in the kitchen. The man said that one of bandits placed the gun to his mother’s neck demanding that the monies be handed over.
He noted that he started to shout for “thief” and some of the neighbours heard what was taking place.
He said that he knew he had to resist the bandits because he was almost convinced that the men were going to shoot his mother.
He recalled that he started scuffling with them (bandits) enabling his mother and father to run to safety. His father who is 65-years old, managed to run to the Grove Police Station where he informed ranks about the attack. According to Bhojindar, the police responded promptly.
He said that after he resisted the bandit, he tried to run and was shot in the buttocks. The man said he fell to the ground and remarkably, although the bandits continued to fire shots at him, they all missed.
“I was on the ground and he was shooting at me, but all missed me.” Bhojindar said that although he was injured he managed to lash one of the bandits in his face with a bottle.
“After the rest of bandits started calling him, he tried to exit the room and I picked up a bottle and lash him to the face,” Bhojindar said.
The bandits eventually managed to escape with the day of sales from the store, which the Gopauls estimate to be $20,000.
The man said that once he sees the bandits again he would be able to identify them, since they were not wearing any masks.
Bhojindar opined that the police should issue firearms to persons who operate businesses.
“Business people should be able to own firearms to help defend themselves.”
The Gopauls have been operating the business for more than 13 years.
A police source told this newspaper that detectives are still investigating the robbery. The source said that it is believed that a gang which operates from a neighbouring village is behind Saturday’s attack.
The gang, according to the source is presently terrorising East Bank residents.
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
Apr 18, 2024
SportsMax – West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has been named Wisden’s leading Twenty20 Cricketer for 2023, as she topped all and sundry, including her male counterparts. Alan Gardner looks...Kaieteur News – Compliments of the Ministry of Education, our secondary school children are being treated to a stage... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]