Westminster contractor shot dead during home invasion

– wife beaten in head, son stabbed during ordeal

Sixty-nine-year-old Jairam Ramkishun, a contractor of Westminster Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara (WBD) was shot dead in the wee hours of Sunday after bandits invaded his property.
According to reports, Ramkishun lived in a one-flat concrete house with his wife, Tajwantie Harry Persaud, and their two sons, aged 24 and 25.

Tajwantie told the police that she and her husband were asleep in their bedroom when they were awakened by three males dressed in hoodies one of whom was armed with a handgun.
She recounted being beaten to the head with the gun by the intruders who demanded cash and jewellery. Her husband, however, put up a fight against the men. Upon hearing the commotion, one of their sons, Jonathan, came out of his bedroom.
Together, they managed to force the suspects out of the house. During the scuffle, Jonathan sustained a stab wound to the left side of his rib area. The men exited through the western side door, after which Ramkishun armed himself with a cutlass and went after them.
The wife further stated that amid everything, she heard a loud explosion, which sounded like a gunshot. Upon checking, she saw her husband lying motionless on his face in a pool of blood at the front of the yard.
She immediately contacted a family friend who reported the matter to the police. After checks were made in their home, it was discovered that one iPhone 8 and one iPhone 11 were missing.
The police arrived at the scene and found two live rounds of 9mm ammunition and one 9mm spent shell at the front of the yard. In addition, a black haversack and two flap hats were also found at the scene.

In an interview with reporters on Sunday, Tajwantie revealed that this was the second time in the year, they were robbed.
“It happened the same hours in the morning… the story is in the court. Last week Thursday we went to court and that was the trial day. The suspect that I identified at the first robbery, he was at court and he carried someone with him and he kept saying that he will come back to them [her family] and I gonna kill all of them…” she said.
Tajwantie described her husband as a quiet and hardworking man who did not deserve to die in such a cruel manner.
“He was very quiet, hardworking, and loving to his family. He loved to work…I believe they were sending a message to the family towards the court that transpired last week,” she added.
Meanwhile, Jairam’s brother, Phillip Ramkishun, called on President Dr Irfaan Ali, to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted into his brother’s death.
“We are waiting on justice and I am hoping that the President will see that there is fair justice in this. We need justice…. there are a lot of families that this happened to and nothing comes out of it, but we are asking you. If we have to walk the length and breadth of Guyana to get justice, we will do it. My brother is an innocent person, and we need justice,” he said.
He added that after the incident, they contacted the La Grange Police Station but that proved useless. It was the ranks from Wales Police Station that turned up to conduct the investigation.
He added that his brother worked hard to make life comfortable for him and his family and it is heart wrenching to know that his life was snuffed out in this manner. Meanwhile, CCTV camera showed several men turning up at the home of the contractor on Sunday morning.
A few of them remained on the road, apparently to keep watch while three of them went into the house. The police stated that they are currently reviewing the footage to apprehend the perpetrators.