SIXTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Devi Siewchand, who was wounded last Saturday night when bandits invaded the Zeelandia, Mahaicony home she had shared with her 72-year-old husband Deoroop Siewchand and murdered him, remained under close medical watch yesterday at the Female Surgical Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).Although not on the critical list, her relatives were restricting visitors, pending the day when they would break to her the tragic news of her husband’s death.
Mrs Siewchand was beaten on her head when bandits invaded and ransacked the family home on Saturday night. She was tied up and left lying on the floor after the men had doused her with muddied water and alcohol, according to Deoroop’s ten-year-old nephew, who had spent the night with the Siewchands and had witnessed their ordeal.
Deoroop Siewchand, a farmer, was knifed to death on the upper floor of the building, even as Mrs Siewchand and the young boy were being harassed downstairs. His body, which had about 20 stab wounds, was subsequently found on the floor in a pool of blood.
The ten-year-old boy’s father, Amar Siewchand, who is Deoroop’s brother, lives next door.
Apparently no one outside of the Siewchands’ home had realised that a bloody attack was taking place within. The next morning, the child, who had spent the night at the home of his uncle and aunt on that ill-fated night, fortunately survived the ordeal. He recalled that as the bandits were on their rampage, one of the men forced him to lie on the floor next to his aunt; but moments later, while they shifted their attention from him, he escaped and hid in a cupboard. From there he continued to listen and monitor their activities until they left the building.
At around 6:30 hrs on Sunday morning, when he felt that the bandits had departed the house, he hastened home and broke the news to his father, since the bandits had disabled the telephone lines in the house.
Mrs Devi Siewchand was rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, but was later transferred to the GPHC for medical treatment.