A SHRIMP vendor, Parbattie Bickram, was chopped and robbed of her recently acquired laptop, cash and jewellery, on Wednesday evening, after three teenaged masked bandits rushed into her yard at Lot 54, Doctor Bush Albion, Corentyne.

An overseas-based visitor, 72-year-old Ramkali Ramdat, also sustained a chop on her left arm, and two wounds on her hand, after the cutlass wielding bandit fired the chops while making demands for cash.
According to Bickram, she was sitting in a hammock below her home when she heard someone say: ‘You all don’t move.’
“At the time my two daughters were at the nearby table familiarising themselves with the laptop. Moments earlier I had collected the laptop from the Cropper Primary School. It is from the One Laptop for family project. My nani boujie was lying in the bed, just next to me.”
“There were three thieves-two had cutlasses, while one had a gun. I believe that they were a bit scared. They looked as though they were on some kind of drugs. The gunman pointed the gun threatening to shoot if we did not give him the money. In the meanwhile, one of the two who were armed with the cutlass fired chops at my left hand, while the other was firing chops at Ramdat.
“She [Ramdat], fell from the bed onto the ground, and was bleeding profusely. They removed two gold bangles and a gold band. Meanwhile, the gunman turned his attention to my older daughter who was left seated at the table. He pointed the gun to her and demanded money. During that time he fired a gunshot which pierced the floor and zinc sheetings above.
“My daughter left, saying she was going for the money, the gunman followed her partially. I got up and met her on the inner stairway, where I took the envelope from her, opened it and gave the gunman US$1,200 and over G$30,000.”
According to the woman, the thief was dissatisfied, and wanted more money, but instead of giving him more, she used the opportunity to lock herself and daughter into one of the three bedrooms, much to the annoyance of the bandit, who, thereafter went into the other rooms, chopping at the wooden wardrobes in the process.
However, the approaching lights from a neighbour returning from the masjid scared off the bandits who fled, snatching the laptop as they were leaving the yard. Minutes later the police arrived and commenced investigations.
This newspaper was informed that earlier that day the couple had gone to Rose Hall Town where they had changed an undisclosed amount of foreign currency, and had thereafter bought groceries in anticipation of hosting a Jhandi [Hindu religious ceremony] this weekend.
While the elderly visitor remains a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital, the shrimp vendor had her lacerated wounds sutured before being sent away.
Police investigations are continuing.
Written By Jeune Bailey Van-Keric