Mon Repos man charged with attempted murder of two women

-following hair-raising robbery, chase

The man who reportedly shot two women, including one who was pregnant, moments after committing a robbery, was yesterday slapped with several charges and remanded to prison.

Danny Rajkumar, 20, of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), according to a police press release, appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court charged with two counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and seven counts of robbery under arms.

Rajkumar was arrested by the police in the canefields aback of Plaisance, ECD, on February 23, following an armed robbery at Better Hope, ECD.

He appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore and will be returning to court on March 7.

Police had said in a press release that around 12:45 hrs on the day in question Naronatie, 49, and her son Rovindra Prashad, 29, were at their home at Better Hope when they were confronted by two men armed with handguns, who held them up and took away two cell phones and $17,500 and escaped on foot.

According to police, Prashad pursued the two perpetrators in his car along the Better Hope Road during which the men discharged rounds, one of which struck Luchanda Beckles, 24, of South Vryheid’s Lust, ECD, to her left thigh as she was walking along the road.

Prashad continued pursuing the two men who subsequently separated.

He later saw one of them on Victoria Road, Plaisance. The armed man again discharged rounds indiscriminately, one of which struck pregnant teacher Anesha Sanders, 32, of Victoria Road who was standing on her verandah, to her abdomen.

The armed man then held up the driver of motor car PNN 7456 which had stopped, and took away the vehicle which he later abandoned in a canal in the Plaisance Squatting Area and fled into the canefields, police said.

Police who had responded to the report cordoned off the area and eventually arrested the suspect.

A .32 Taurus pistol with one round was recovered from him, the police had said.

The suspect was later admitted a patient under guard at the Georgetown Hospital for treatment to injuries he is suspected to have sustained during his escape bid. His accomplice managed to escape.

The two injured women were taken to the Georgetown Hospital where Sanders was admitted, while Beckles was treated and sent away. Investigations are continuing.