…attack proprietor and family
ARMED bandits on Monday attacked and robbed the Ramroop Grocery Store at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, terrorized and severely beat the proprietor, Arnold Ramroop, his wife and two children, before carting off some $7M in cash, jewellery and other items. The 47-year-old businessman told reporters that around 11:15hrs, he was in his shop mopping the floor after a customer had messed up the tiles, when two men, one of them armed with a hand gun went into the shop, held him at gunpoint and ordered him to lie on the floor face down.
Fearful for his life, he complied, the men then closed the main entrance to the shop and an inner door which leads into the family home.
Ramroop’s wife, Ratchpattie, and their son, Ropeesh, 22, who were inside watching cricket, said that even though they did not hear anything, they immediately became uneasy, and sensed that something was amiss. Out of caution, they went over to the shop to enquire and offer help if needed.
When the mother and son appeared, the bandits attacked both of them and ordered them to lie on the floor as well. The father and son were gun-butted on the head, and the bandits ordered Mrs. Ramroop to accompany
them upstairs and show them where to find the money and jewellery. She too was beaten in the face and intimidated into showing them where to find the cash and jewellery.
After rummaging through upstairs, the men escaped with $2M in cash and about $5M worth of jewellery and other items, including phone cards which were for sale and a BlackBerry phone Roopesh had bought only a week ago.
Meanwhile, as the bandits were making their way out of the shop, one of them spotted the family’s television set and attempted to carry that away too, but the other advised him against doing that, as it would have attracted attention. Before leaving, the bandits threatened the family that if they dare speak with the media or call in the police, they would return and kill them.
On leaving the building, the men headed east, joined a waiting car and exited the scheme through  Silk Cotton Road.
The police were called in and are investigating.