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The Parmanand family contemplating their next move

Police in Berbice are looking for two men who they believe can provide vital information into the robbery of a West Coast Berbice family on Saturday morning.

In a release Police said that about 01:30h on Saturday, Umgrie Parmanand, 55, of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), was aroused by the sound of persons in his home.

The release said the men, one of whom was armed with a firearm, had entered the home through an opened window and held up Parmanand, his wife Chandroutie, 54, and son Latchman, 26, during which Latchman was shot to his left foot.

The release added that the perpetrators took away an undisclosed sum of cash and a quantity of jewellery then escaped.

Speaking with Guyana Times, the businessman who has been operating a grocery store for 15 years said by the time he realised the men were in his home, one of them was choking him and told him to get out of bed. “He drop two slap on me and then I stand up and ask he wha he want.”

Both of the bandits had their faces covered with hand kerchiefs.

The intruders demanded all the gold and money: “Me say me na gat gold and money, and he take one baton and he start lash me on me head… An when me start holler me wife get up and they lash she one lash an she fall down.”

Parmanand had several sutured wounds to his head while his wife had one to the ear.

Meanwhile admits the noise, the couple’s son jumped over the wall, entered the bedroom and attacked one of the thieves by hitting him and was soon in a scuffle. The other whipped out a fire arm and shot Latchman in his right thigh. The bullet went through and into his left thigh before exiting. “When I see me son get shoot I reverse back an tell dem to go in the wardrobe and take what they want. All what in there you can tae because I ent get anything in there,” the businessman related.

The men took $300,000 which Parmanand said he had saved to pay for on truck instalment.

It is still not known how much jewellery was also taken. According to Parmanand, it was all that his wife had owned and they are still counting to determine the value. “Me bin get one camera and some phone. All that they carry away. They carry away more thing; up to know me na know all wah gone.”

According to Parmanand, this was the first time robbers attacked him. He says the experience was very scary and painful. “Dem man put about twenty-five lash pon me head. When dem gone me feel nice because dem lash wha me get deh… When dem lash you is solid lash. Every lash me ah go down ah ground,” Parmanand said as he described the incident.

The ordeal lasted about twenty-five minutes after which the bandits left the same way in which they entered — by going through a space created by removing louvers from a window. He said he did not go behind them and could not say if any more were outside the house.

A close relative was called and shortly after Police arrived. The entire family was taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital, treated and released.

Police were able to retrieve one spent shell from the scene.

The bandits clambered onto a roof to get to the window, carefully avoiding a CCTV camera.

Police are investigation.