BANDITS launched a brutal attack on a Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara family, hacking a businessman to death and severing his wife's right hand early yesterday morning. Forty-five-year old Davechand Appana was stabbed about 15 times about his body. His wife Hemrajie, called Dato, sustained several chops and has reportedly lost her right hand.Their 13-year-old daughter, Aruna hid under her bed during the 30-minute reign of terror that rocked the little East Coast Demerara village. The attack occurred at about 2:00 hours when five bandits broke their way into the family's Cinema Road Non Pareil home and began demanding money. Police have since detained six persons after they were led to a house in the neighbouring village of Melanie Damishana, by their tracker dog 'Proud'. This was the fourth time that the family has been robbed and it followed last Sunday's attack on the businessman's sister and her family who live two doors away. According to reports, two of the bandits gained entry to the Appana's house by smashing a window after climbing unto their verandah. Three of their accomplices kept watch in the yard.
In the process of entering the house, the bandits pushed down a large television set, smashing it and obviously making noise that roused the household. It was raining at the time and some of the neighbours were aroused.
One neighbour said that she witnessed the entire event but she said that she is afraid to come forward to report what she saw. Another neighbour who had suffered from a bandit attack heard the screams but past events caused a flood of old emotions to surface and rendered her speechless.
The bandits forced the couple from their bedroom into their shop downstairs and demanded cash and jewelry.
It is believed that the businessman put up a fight with the bandits, who proceeded to stab him with scissors and knives. One view is that the bandits stabbed him every time he failed to hand over money in keeping with their demands.
Thirteen-year old Aruna Appana who was asleep in her bedroom at the time of the attack, told Kaieteur News that she was awakened by her mother's screams.
"I heard mom and dad hollering for thief and I hear the men asking for money and jewelry. They took them (parents) downstairs," she recalled. The teenager said she heard her mother saying, 'Oh me God, don't do we nothing'.
She then heard the men asking for jewelry.
"My mother turn and told them, 'y'all done get all from de last time we get rob'. Then I heard my father hollering, then a loud crashing sound." Then there was complete silence.
All the while, the teenager had secured herself in her room, fearing that if the bandits had seen her, they would have abducted her.
"I only came out when I heard like persons jumping over the fence. I had already called the Cove and John Police Station. Then my mother came upstairs with her nighty full of blood," Aruna Appana said before bursting into tears.
She said the police arrived shortly after, but could not locate their house.
"I had to come out and call them," the teenager added. By then neighbours began arriving, and leaving a few ranks at the scene, the police hurried Mrs. Appana to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was immediately admitted.
Kaieteur News understands that apart from losing her hand, the woman also sustained a fractured skull, from a wound to her head.
She underwent surgery and up to late yesterday afternoon was reportedly resting comfortably in a stable but serious condition.
Her husband received seven stabs in his back, two in his neck, two to his chest and other wounds to both sides of his face.
It was reported that the bandits made off with $100,000 representing money handed over by the now dead businessman when they accosted him.
Other family members were contacted and they along with several residents of the community converged on the scene.
"Why dey didn't chop out he hand and lef he alive?" one relative cried.
"Dave why you had to fight with dem?" another remarked.
Using a tracker dog, the police were led to a house, where they arrested five persons, including a woman and a minibus driver, who is said to be a relative of a former senior police officer.
While no shots were fired, police said that they recovered three 7.62 live rounds, which is used by the deadly AK-47 assault rifle and also by the M-70 rifle that is standard police fare.
The Appanas had recently bought a house in Enterprise and were planning to move there, after putting up the Non Pareil house for sale.
"He nah hear nah go live ah Non Pareil. Alyuh nah hear," cried the dead man's son who did not live with his father. Early Monday morning the dead man's sister, Latchmin, was the victim of a bandit attack.
The woman claimed that she was forced to hide under her bed with her daughter, while the men held her husband at gunpoint in the yard. It was around 2:55 hours.
The woman said that her husband had gone to the outhouse and was returning inside when a tall man in camouflage clothing confronted him. They forced him to lie on the ground and placed their foot on his neck. She said that her husband eventually called out to them and when her daughter checked she saw the bandit.
She ran back upstairs and with her mother bolted themselves in the house.
"They tell we dat they gone bun down de house if we don't come out. But we call de police," Latchmin Appana told Kaieteur News. The men fled with the family's DVD player. The Non Pareil area has been the target of criminals ever since the crime wave began in 2002.
Last year December another resident who lived between the now dead Davechand Appana and his sister Latchmin, was shot dead in another robbery. The man, a rice vendor was returning home when the gunmen confronted him on the bridge.
His wife is still stunned. She, like others are contemplating moving out. Many others have shut up their homes and have left