Man who breached protection order to appear in court

A 52-year-old gardener is expected to appear before a Siparia magistrate today charged with maliciously wounding a Barrackpore woman and her son on Friday night. Police said the man breached a protection order and went to the home of Shanti Roopchand and her 27-year-old son Premchand where he stabbed and chopped them.

Roopchand sustained stab wounds to her back and chest. She was also chopped to her left arm. Premchand was chopped on the left hand. Police said the incident happened at 9 pm. Roopchand and Premchand were at home when the man went into the house. One relative, who wished not to be named, told Newsday the man called out to Roopchand then ran into the yard. “He was shouting, ‘Shanti I want to see you’. When she did come out to see who was calling her, the man rushed her and swing the cutlass at her,” the relative recalled.

She said Roopchand was dealt the first chop to her left arm.

“She was screaming for help and begging (name called) to stop but he continued to swing the cutlass at her. It was clear he wanted her dead,” the relative said. Premchand, it is alleged, tried to get the cutlass from the man’s hand but he too was attacked.

Roopchand and Premchand were taken to hospital by ambulance. Relatives told Newsday they were thankful they were not killed. They have been discharged from hospital and are recuperating at home.