A Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businesswoman was shot and robbed by a gun-toting man who pounced on her at the Harbour Bridge Mall on Wednesday.

According to reports, Nelia Singh, 42 , who operates the Best Value Pawn Shop at the mall, was attacked around 10:00hrs at the mall’s compound on Wednesday.
Police noted that the victim went to the mall to open her business when she was approached by a male who was armed with a handgun. The man was waiting in front of the Harbour Bridge Mall at the southern entrance as the woman entered the compound.

The suspect reportedly held onto the victim’s bag and a scuffle ensued during which the victim was shot in the region of her right lower leg and relieved of the bag, police said.
Singh was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for medical attention; her condition was listed as stable.

When this publication visited the scene on Wednesday, persons there reported that the robbery happened within minutes. An eyewitness noted that the gunman approached the woman as she exited her car in the parking lot of the mall. The man scuffled with the woman and shot her as she resisted.

The eyewitness noted that the gunman ran in the direction of Norton Street, Bagotstown, an area which, he noted, was a haven for criminal elements. He said that in the past, bandits who robbed other businesses at the mall, would escape into Norton Street across the road from the mall.

Businessmen in the area called on the security forces to carry out operations in the area.
Police are investigating Wednesday’s robbery.