Durban - A couple are counting their blessings after they survived an attack by seven armed robbers who repeatedly stabbed and assaulted their son while their grandchildren watched.
School principal Vinod Sookun and his wife, Indu, a retired teacher, were attacked around 8pm on Friday at their well-secured home at Lidgetton, just outside Howick.
Relative Ashwin Singh said his nephew, Kaveer, who ran a tuckshop from the front of the house, had gone to drop off a worker.
On his return, he was confronted by seven armed robbers waiting in a taxi outside the front gate.
Singh said it appeared the robbery had been planned as the robbers had cut the telephone lines and knew the layout of the property.
“They accosted Kaveer and pointed a gun at his head. They threatened to kill him if he did not co-operate.”
Singh said his nephew was forced into the house at gunpoint. “They demanded to know where the safe was. Kaveer pleaded with them to take whatever they wanted, but not to harm his family.”
His parents, wife and two children - aged three months and six years - were in the house at the time.
“They kicked open the front door. My sister, Indu, came face to face with them. They grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. She, too, was held at gunpoint,” Singh said.
“Her daughter-in-law ran to the bedroom with the two children and locked the door. Another kept watch over my brother-in-law.”
Singh said two of the robbers took Kaveer to locate the safe. “They cleared it out of cash and jewellery. The others ransacked the rest of the house. They stole mainly electronic goods, which they packed in my sister’s Toyota Tazz.”
He said one of the robbers then kicked down the door of the bedroom where Kaveer’s wife and children were hiding.
“They manhandled her and threatened to kill her. During this time Kaveer was repeatedly stabbed and assaulted.”
He said the car was fitted with a tracking device and was tracked to Estcourt before police lost the signal. “They must have found the device and removed it.”
Singh said he believed house robberies were being fuelled by unemployment, the weak rand and prisoners being released on early parole.
“The weak rand is going to cause more unemployment as businesses shut doors. This is going to fuel crime. Also, parolees are going back to their life of crime almost days after being released.”
He said it appeared criminals were sharpening their skills in prison and getting “right back to business” when released. “Indians are also becoming soft targets for criminals. In recent weeks there have been a lot of anti-Indian comments. This is making us a lot more vulnerable.”
Police are investigating a case of armed robbery.
Daily News