Relatives of wounded police officer Kashyap Lochan are disappointed that his colleagues left him at the mercy of gunmen when he responded to an armed robbery in progress at Vietnam Bar in Barrackpore last Friday. Lochan’s cousin Ricky Rambhajan said after looking at the footage on Crime Watch they were appalled to see the response of the two officers with Lochan. He said they failed to cover him when he was shot repeatedly.
Rambhajan also disputed reports that Lochan was not getting the best care at the San Fernando General Hospital where he remained warded under police guard. “He is getting good treatment and he is much better. He is talking and we are happy and proud that he is recovering well,” Rambhajan said.
Asked whether Lochan planned to stay in the Police Service, Rambhajan said, “It’s a little too early to say but we think he should stay. This should not deter him.” He said Lochan’s parents were very supportive of him. Hospital officials said Lochan might be discharged by weekend. Once he returns home, additional precautions would be taken. Rambhajan said it might be a few months before Lochan healed completely.
...Off-duty cops were in the bar—witness
A man who was inside the bar during the robbery said two off-duty police officers were in the bar when the bandits struck but they too failed to intervene.
“It was very poor response from the police. The police were very inexperienced. We were inside the gaming room when two men, one with a ski mask and the other with a green camouflage bandanna over his face, walked in. The man with the automatic gun said ‘Lie on (expletive) ground and if you raise your head, I will buss way your (expletive) skull,’” the witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
About 25 people were inside the bar, he said. After shoving thick wads of cash into the bag, the robbers saw Lochan approaching on the surveillance camera. Lochan kicked the door which swung open and the gunmen fired. “While the shots were firing, there was no talking. After the 12th shot, one of the bandit start to bawl, ‘Dog come, I have you covered, dog come.’ He start to fire at the police car with an automatic weapon. The police were not prepared. They couldn’t even take out the safety from the gun.
“The WPC was so shaken that other police officers had to pick up Lochan and carry him to the hospital. She hid in the police car. The bandits had a lot of time to escape,” the witness said. After Lochan was placed in the car, the vehicle broke down at Monkey Town and another police car had to take the injured officer to the hospital, another source said. He said the off-duty police officers and the back-up officers could have held the robbers if there was proper co-ordination and response among them.