Bandits kill contractor trying to protect friend

Dead is 34-year-old Vishwanauth Sukhai, known as ‘Stalin’, of 59 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty.

According to his wife, Lakerania Ramanand, Sukhai left home on Sunday night with a friend, Zaphir Mohamed, for a hang out bar in Barr Street, Kitty. She said that at about 01:30–02:00 h yesterday, two of his friends showed up at her home with a message that her husband had been shot and was at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

She said that when she arrived at the hospital, he was already dead.

Ramanand told the Guyana Chronicle that Mohamed said that after they left home Sunday night, they went to the ‘Night Bird’ bar in Barr Street for a drink.

They later went to buy food on Sheriff Street and Sukhai had taken his friend home in his vehicle, PCC 8604, on Shell Road where they were talking, she said.

It is understood that the two were suddenly attacked by two armed men who rode up on a motorcycle and who apparently had been following them when they drove off from the Sheriff Street restaurant.

Ramanand said she assumed her husband was robbed of his gold and silver band which he had left home with, since these were not on his hands when she saw him at the hospital.

As the bandits attacked and robbed Mohamed, Sukhai retaliated and fought with them.

Mohamed ran from the attackers who shot Sukhai before escaping, relatives said.

The wounded businessman, a mobile contractor, was rushed to the hospital by public-spirited citizens and Police said he died before he received medical attention.

Ramanand said when Mohamed arrived at her home, he told her what happened and that he had heard one gunshot.

Police said that when the bandits pounced, they ordered the two friends not to move and proceeded to rob Mohamed of jewellery, a quantity of foreign currency and G$5,000, and shot Sukhai in his upper left arm.

 Tuesday, March 07, 2006