Woman shot in robbery, hijack

Woman shot in robbery, hijack
By Michel Outridge

TOSSED OUT: taxi driver Sahadeo Lall, called “Bolt”, outside the GPHC yesterday before he accompanied detectives to CID headquarters. (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

A 56-YEAR-old woman shot in the left side of her neck during a robbery and car hijack outside her Georgetown home yesterday afternoon, was last night critical in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Ashwani Doodnauth, 56, a proprietor of Doodnauth Jewellery Stall and Store at Lot 173 Pike Street, Kitty, was in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery, relatives said.

Her son, Naresh Doodnauth, told the Guyana Chronicle his parents, Ashwani and Danieram Doodnauth, 50, were returning home after locking up their stall in the Stabroek Market when the bandits struck.

He said that at about 15:30 h, his mother and father were about to get out of a taxi just outside their home when they were confronted by two gunmen who had suddenly appeared.

Naresh said the bandits demanded cash and jewellery but his parents do not carry money or jewels with them.

They grabbed a black plastic bag with fruits from his mother who was in the front seat with the driver before shooting her at point blank range in the neck, he said.

Naresh said they also hauled the driver, Sahadeo Lall, called “Bolt”, 48, of Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara, out of his motorcar.

The father, who was in shock at the GPHC awaiting word on the condition of his wife, said the bandits took away his licensed gun and pushed him out of the blue AT 192 car, licence plate PHH 2589.

WAITING WORD: son of the wounded woman, Naresh Doodnauth, standing beside his father, Danieram Doodnauth in the lobby of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the GPHC. (Cullen Bess-Nelson photo)

They also tossed his wife out of the vehicle before driving off with it.

The man produced $200 from his shirt pocket, all the money he had when the robbers attacked.

Scores of family members, relatives and friends rushed to the hospital to comfort the elder Doodnauth and his son who were anxiously waiting in the lobby of the Accident and Emergency Room.

The traumatised taxi driver, who also rushed to the hospital, told the Guyana Chronicle he was given a $500 note for the drop from his regular customers and was handing them the $200 change when he heard a gunshot.

“Then I realised that we were being robbed and by that time I was taken out of the car and dumped on the road when I saw my customer (Ashwani) lying in a pool of blood on the road,” he said.

The driver was, however, whisked away by detectives who invited him to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to give a statement.

Police recovered a 9mm spent shell at the scene and the hijacked motorcar was reportedly found abandoned about an hour after the robbery in Sophia, Greater Georgetown. ( Sophia, Georgetown, is PNC head office)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006