City constable stabbed by market burglar

A city constable was stabbed in his chest on Sunday night, during an attempt to capture three robbers caught red-handed trying to rob stalls at the Bourda Market.

Town Clerk Carol Sooba stated that Constable Samuel Scotland is currently awaiting surgery in the surgical ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted after being wounded in the attack.

Constables were on Sunday night alerted by sounds coming from the Bourda Market and they found two men standing on the roof of a stall, while another was inside the stall. The constables approached the stall and attempted to detain the men, who avoided their advances. It is believed that Scotland was stabbed during this encounter. The man found in the stall was, however, captured.

“De constables come and reach two of dem on de roof and try fuh arrest dem but dey stabbed one and run away, leaving de next one in de stall,” according to husband of the stall owner, Roop Rupdeo.

His wife and stall owner Hemwanti Danti stated that she had recently visited the hospitalised constable to monitor his condition, considering that he helped capture the men who attempted to rob her and probably other stall owners.
Danti explained that on last Friday last, she arrived at her stall to discover that it was broken into. The robbers had entered through the roof. She said that food items were taken from the stall.

According to Danti, she reported the break-in to the City Constabulary. She added that she did not expect anyone to be arrested until she found out that a bandit was captured while raiding the stall next to her.

“Dey pull out the zinc and used a sledgehammer on de roof fa break in. Is like dey select ma food stuff and gone with it,” she stated.

“I don’t know if de man that was arrested is de man dat rob me, but he probably did rob meh,” she added.
Stall owners told Stabroek News that persons attempted to break into their stalls on Friday last as well.

The owner of Sawh’s Grocery explained that the persons attempted to break into her stall, while another stated that they broke into her stall and stole two knives.

“Dey try to break in meh place by burning off meh padlock of meh stall with a blowtorch,” the owner of Sawh’s Grocery said.
The stall owners are now increasing the security of their stalls to prevent future break-ins.