Executed in front of wife
A beloved father of three, was shot and killed in front of his wife, when a gang of at least eight armed robbers, stormed Eastdene Liquors during peak business hours on Wednesday.
Frantic efforts by doctors and pharmacists at the Eastdene’s southern complex, to save the life of Mr Mukesh Sun Mookh (Sam) Ranchod (46), were in vain.
He was declared dead by paramedics shortly after the gang fled in two getaway cars, one a blue, older shaped BMW, parked in front of the store.
Mr Ranchod was the son-in-law of bottle store owner, Mr Bob Dajee, whose family was too traumatized to talk to the Observer before print.
Store manager, Mr Carlos Campanario, on Thursday recalled how Mr Ranchod was shot in the chest at point blank range, when he failed to comply with the robbers’ instructions to lie down.
Mr Ranchod’s wife, Darshala, works at her father’s business, and Mr Ranchod went to pick her up daily, following work at Heavy Feather, where he was employed.
The robbers stormed the outlet while Mrs Ranchod was busy cashing up. Eastdene Liquors is a bulk supplier of a number of other liquor stores, as well as restaurants in town.
Upon entering, seven members of staff and four customers, were ordered to lay down in front of the main counter in store. The men were all armed with handguns.
“Sam remained standing. We don’t know why. Maybe he didn’t hear them order him to the ground. One of the men simply shot him in the chest without as much as a warning,” Mr Campanario told the Observer.
The robbers were on their way out when another customer walked in. They pulled the man into the business and robbed him of his wallet and cellphone before making their getaway.
“Everything was over in four minutes,” Mr Campanario says.
Mr Campanario spoke of how they frantically tried to get hold of an ambulance, finally summoned by the Middelburg 911 Zello group.
“When doctor Ahmed Kola, and Eastdene pharmacists arrived, Sam still had a pulse.”
Mr Ranchod moved to Middelburg from Mokopane in April last year. He was described as a warmhearted person and a dedicated family man. He leaves behind his wife and three children Sonaly, Brijesh and Mishka.
Funeral arrangements were not known at the time of going to press.
The liquor outlet has fallen prey to four break-ins since December, with the last one occurring on Monday. The centre has been a regular target for housebreakers, since 24/7 security was stopped.
Read update here:
Video: Man killed in cold blood
