Corentyne man shot as bandits ambush jeweller

A Letter Kenny, Corentyne man was grazed by a bullet yesterday when he and two others were ambushed by bandits on the Tain Public Road.

Aumraj Mahase was grazed at the side of his neck and was treated at the Port Mourant Hospital and discharged.

Mahase, 36, his sister Nalanatie Manshar and Ricardo Tulsi, 22, all of Letter Kenny, Corentyne, were attacked when they stopped at a pedestrian crossing around 12:30pm.

Manshar, who owns and operates a jewellery stall at the Rose Hall Market and is believed to have been the target of the attack, was driving at the time. She stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the road in front of the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus and it was then that they were approached by a man armed with a handgun and two others followed.

Manshar told Stabroek News that when she was approached by the man, who demanded that she exit the vehicle.

She screamed for help and at that point two others approached and demanded that all three of the passengers exit the vehicle.

According to Manshar, because she had her seatbelt on, it took some time for her to get out the vehicle. She added that after Tulsi exited, she just drove away to seek assistance.

The men attempted to fire at the fleeing vehicle and, on their third attempt, they managed to graze the side of Mahase’s neck.

Manshar explained that the police were in the area and, upon hearing the sound of the gunfire, they quickly responded to the scene and began pursuing the fleeing bandits.

The bandit, however, managed to escape by crossing a canal at Tain Koker Dam.

Manshar said that the incident looked like it was well-planned. She said that she was robbed once before.