Widower set alight by thugs dies

The widower whose Non Pariel wake house was invaded by an armed gang last week has died from the burns suffered when the thugs set him alight.

Haroon Rasheed of Lot 362, Non Pariel Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara died shortly before midnight on Sunday at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The 56-year-old Rasheed had been severely burnt over a large portion of his body and when Stabroek News visited him last week he was wrapped in bandages.
He was among the victims of a robbery spree last week Wednesday when some 12 bandits stormed the area, disturbing a wake that was being held for Rasheed’s wife Amina Rasheed who had died in a hit and run accident a week earlier.

Rasheed had told Stabroek News from his hospital bed that he was playing dominoes, when the bandits marched into his yard.
He said he was the first to be attacked with a thumping lash with a cutlass across his back, then a gun-butt to his left ear, and another lash on his face.
Then the bandits reportedly moved into his home, and it was while he was resisting them he was soaked with kerosene and set alight. The bandits also threw kerosene oil on others at the wake but only Rasheed caught afire.

Rasheed who had lost sight in both of his eyes was still bleeding slightly behind his ears up to Friday last. His face was badly burnt and the flesh had blackened, and the skin on his chest and abdomen had peeled away.
He had been suffering from a stroke at the time of the attack, but was still able to move around.
When Stabroek News returned to Non Pariel yesterday, neighbours said Rasheed’s relatives in Mon Repos were looking after his funeral arrangements. Meanwhile, residents in the area are uneasy and many of them have been closing their doors earlier than usual. They complained that even though ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) are not far away from the village, there appeared to be no protection.

They say suspected bandits have been allowed to pass through their village and throw derogatory and racial remarks at villagers. They are calling for regular police patrols in the area.
That part of the East Coast has been targeted by armed gangs ever since the crime spree erupted following the February 23 jailbreak. 

Wednesday September 4, 2002