POLICE are investigating an incident in which a West Berbice mother of two was burnt to death in her home in a fire set by bandits in the aftermath of a home invasion and robbery early yesterday morning.The dead woman has been identified as Anita Baichan, 49, a cash-crop farmer of Plantation Hope, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice.

After the robbery and the setting of the house on fire, Baichan tried to escape from the building, but could not because she had been gagged and bound hand and foot with duct tape by the two bandits during the robbery.

Her son Moshin Khan, 23, was also beaten and terrorised by the bandits for over two and a half hours. He, too, was gagged and duct-taped, but somehow managed to escape the raging inferno that engulfed the house.

But by the time he had freed himself and rushed to save his mother, it was too late.

Neighbours said Baichan was a quiet and cheerful person.
She was the mother of two children: Moshin, a carpenter, and a daughter whose name was given as “Natasha,” who is currently overseas.

The robbery and subsequent arson and murder occurred between 02:00 hrs and 04:30 hrs yesterday.
According to Khan, he and his mother, the only occupants at home at the time, were awakened by the two armed men who gained entry into their house. The two men, one armed with a cutlass and the other with two knives, tied and gagged them both before demanding money.

They handed over $250,000 and some silver jewellery, but the robbers were unsatisfied and demanded more.

“They keep searching the house and then coming back and beat us, then they went searching the house again.”

The bandits “broadsided” Khan and his mother with a cutlass.

After the long torture, one of the bandits told them that they were leaving, but will burn the house down with them inside. The bandits, Khan said, then proceeded to the lower flat of the building, poured kerosene on the floor, and set the building alight.

The young man related that all he and his mother could have done was crawl on their bellies as they tried to get downstairs. During the crawling, he fell down the stairs, leaving her behind.

After a desperate effort, he managed to free himself, but by this time the house was engulfed in flames, making it impossible for him to return to rescue his mother.

Baichan’s remains were found after the fire had subsided, and the remains were taken to the mortuary for a post-mortem.

Khan was expected to be discharged from hospital yesterday afternoon after receiving treatment for the blows inflicted on him.

The police are investigating the matter, but up to late last night, no suspect had been held.

By Clifford Stanley