The police are investigating the armed robbery of businessman Rajendra Mangal of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, who was held up with his family at gun point on Wednesday evening around 7.20 pm and relieved of cash, jewellery and other articles.
During the process Mangal was gun butted to the head and had to receive approximately 15 stitches at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Recounting the incident, he said that around 7.15 pm he was eating at the bottom flat of his home, while his wife and son were in the shop. Suddenly, he saw a man with his face covered run into his yard with a gun; the man demanded cash and jewellery.
He said, “…but before me coulda say anything he tek he gun and lash me in me head and buss am. Then me fall down.”
He added that he tried to fend the man off by grabbing at the gun but the bandit continued to hit him with the gun, the man then dragged him into the house and he took him to the wardrobe and handed over all the jewellery and cash.
There was also another man in the shop with his wife Lynette Mangal and his son Avinash Mangal. According to the wife, she and her son were in the shop using their laptop when a man entered and grabbed her, scratching her in the process, and demanding all the money. She said the man then “took a gun and lashed me son in he head”.
The visibly shaken woman then said that she handed over a bowl that had the cash and begged for her life.
“I tell he ow don’t kill we. Tek everything we got. Come let me take you to the drawer,” she said.
She then took the bandit to the drawer and handed over the additional cash to him. The robber also took a box with cell phone cards and a container that contained money for the phone card sold.
She said the man that was with her husband then entered the shop, pointed the gun at her and told her to give him her diamond ring along with two other rings she was wearing.
“He ask fuh more money and me tell he me nah got more and then they put me son pon the ground fuh lie down and me think them gon shoot he.
So me say ow nah kill awe. By then the neighbour come out and they hear the noise and then they run away,” she added.
The Mangals estimate their losses to be well over $1 million.
They lauded the police for their quick response and their professionalism in handling the matter.
