Wheelchair-bound pensioner Soodama Ramlall, 81, and his partially-sighted wife, Bhana, 70, were callously attacked by robbers, who fled with a Sony Playstation, a DVD player and jewellery. Soodama, found on his bed, was gagged and hit on the head with an ornament.
His face and hands were bruised and his mouth and eyes were stained with blood. Bhana, lying face down on the floor,then used cut pieces of Ceramic tile garden hose to get through the electric fence. had her hands bound with string and a duvet wrapped around her head. Her neck was fractured.
The couple, who lived in a cul-de-sac in Verulam had no chance against the attackers.
Verulam police spokesman Maxwell Manzi,said he was saddened by the deaths and encouraged residents to hire security firms.
"The community, especially the old, should not live in fear. Home owners should employ companies for added protection.
"We have low cost housing schemes in Cottonlands, Parkgate, Waterloo and Mhlasini. This has resulted in an increased population and we have more ground to cover. There is only so much we can do."
The latest crime statistics reveal that within ‘Indian' areas, Verulam had among the highest Als lichtbron wordt een offshore merchant account gebruikt,rate of murders recorded in 2010-2011.
That figure was 46. This was followed by Chatsworth with 45 and Tongaat with 39.
In 2009-2010 the murder stats were 56, the highest being Chatsworth with 57.Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet,
Manzi said although Verulam recorded a high murder rate this year, there had been a reduction from 56 to 46.
He did, however, admit hijackings and house breakings were problems.
The area councillor, Chocks Arunajallam, said although the latter crimes were a threat, there was a "general improvement" recently.
He agreed with Manzi, saying the police could not "cover Verulam on their own" and suggested employing security firms.
Arunajallam also encouraged residents to attend Community Police Forum meetings.
The murdered couple's son, Prem, a general operations manager at KFC, said money was not a factor to secure the premises.
"My parents were forgetful and would have had trouble remembering the alarm code, seeing the numbers on the panel, or would have unnecessarily triggered the alarm," he explained.
He said his brother, Pranesh, an electrician, who stayed with their parents on occasion, was not home that day.
Prem, who lives next door, added that he understood the problems police faced. "I know they cannot regularly patrol every road as we expect them to. I know it is difficult for most to afford private security but the need may warrant it."
A neighbour, who declined to be named, said strangers often roamed the street. "You cannot tell if they are lost or on a stakeout."
He said according to his religion, he was not permitted to keep dogs. "However, I got two watchdogs to protect us,If any food cube puzzle condition is poorer than those standards, in addition to burglar guards, barbed wire on the boundary wall and private security.There are zentai underneath mattresses,"
Prem's brother-in-law, Woojeeth Ramchuran, who also lives on the street and who discovered the bodies, asked: "How much more alert can we be? Imprisonment is a waste of time. Criminals get early parole. We need the death penalty reinstated."
His wife, Presheela, said since the incident, she was a bag of nerves. "For every noise, I jump."
She described her parents' death as a travesty.
Recounting what happened on Saturday, Ramchuran said the robbers gained access into the home by removing the tiles on the roof and entering through a trap door. "They were unable to find the front door key to escape, so bent the burglar guard in an adjacent bedroom and got out the window." He said his in-laws may not have heard the tiles being removed as they had difficulty hearing.
Ramchuran said his tenant, who helped the couple with housework, headed for the home at 7.45am.
"When they failed to open the door or respond to her calls, I rushed over and saw the bent burglar guard and the room in shambles. I ran to their bedroom window and called out for them but there was no response."
His face and hands were bruised and his mouth and eyes were stained with blood. Bhana, lying face down on the floor,then used cut pieces of Ceramic tile garden hose to get through the electric fence. had her hands bound with string and a duvet wrapped around her head. Her neck was fractured.
The couple, who lived in a cul-de-sac in Verulam had no chance against the attackers.
Verulam police spokesman Maxwell Manzi,said he was saddened by the deaths and encouraged residents to hire security firms.
"The community, especially the old, should not live in fear. Home owners should employ companies for added protection.
"We have low cost housing schemes in Cottonlands, Parkgate, Waterloo and Mhlasini. This has resulted in an increased population and we have more ground to cover. There is only so much we can do."
The latest crime statistics reveal that within ‘Indian' areas, Verulam had among the highest Als lichtbron wordt een offshore merchant account gebruikt,rate of murders recorded in 2010-2011.
That figure was 46. This was followed by Chatsworth with 45 and Tongaat with 39.
In 2009-2010 the murder stats were 56, the highest being Chatsworth with 57.Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet,
Manzi said although Verulam recorded a high murder rate this year, there had been a reduction from 56 to 46.
He did, however, admit hijackings and house breakings were problems.
The area councillor, Chocks Arunajallam, said although the latter crimes were a threat, there was a "general improvement" recently.
He agreed with Manzi, saying the police could not "cover Verulam on their own" and suggested employing security firms.
Arunajallam also encouraged residents to attend Community Police Forum meetings.
The murdered couple's son, Prem, a general operations manager at KFC, said money was not a factor to secure the premises.
"My parents were forgetful and would have had trouble remembering the alarm code, seeing the numbers on the panel, or would have unnecessarily triggered the alarm," he explained.
He said his brother, Pranesh, an electrician, who stayed with their parents on occasion, was not home that day.
Prem, who lives next door, added that he understood the problems police faced. "I know they cannot regularly patrol every road as we expect them to. I know it is difficult for most to afford private security but the need may warrant it."
A neighbour, who declined to be named, said strangers often roamed the street. "You cannot tell if they are lost or on a stakeout."
He said according to his religion, he was not permitted to keep dogs. "However, I got two watchdogs to protect us,If any food cube puzzle condition is poorer than those standards, in addition to burglar guards, barbed wire on the boundary wall and private security.There are zentai underneath mattresses,"
Prem's brother-in-law, Woojeeth Ramchuran, who also lives on the street and who discovered the bodies, asked: "How much more alert can we be? Imprisonment is a waste of time. Criminals get early parole. We need the death penalty reinstated."
His wife, Presheela, said since the incident, she was a bag of nerves. "For every noise, I jump."
She described her parents' death as a travesty.
Recounting what happened on Saturday, Ramchuran said the robbers gained access into the home by removing the tiles on the roof and entering through a trap door. "They were unable to find the front door key to escape, so bent the burglar guard in an adjacent bedroom and got out the window." He said his in-laws may not have heard the tiles being removed as they had difficulty hearing.
Ramchuran said his tenant, who helped the couple with housework, headed for the home at 7.45am.
"When they failed to open the door or respond to her calls, I rushed over and saw the bent burglar guard and the room in shambles. I ran to their bedroom window and called out for them but there was no response."
