Indian community leader survives ambush; driver killed

The president of an Indian community and his driver were ambushed by at least eight gunmen last Sunday in Caloocan City, police said yesterday.

Four suspects have been arrested in a dragnet operation, hours after the ambush.

Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton, Caloocan City intelligence and investigation chief, said Bhagwant Rai Bansai, 48, president of the Khalsa Diwan Indian Sikh Temple and resident of Howard Tower Condominiums on 6th Avenue, Caloocan City was critically wounded and taken to the MCU Hospital for treatment.

Bhagwant’s driver, Rajesh Kumar, 48, of Valenzuela City, died of several gunshot wounds in the head and body.

Motive for the ambush-slaying is still being determined.

A follow-up operation led by Substation 2 commander Senior Inspector Realito Esperida resulted in the arrest of four of the suspects at 11:35 p.m. last Sunday. They were identified as Pritam, Karnael, Gurpreet and Amardeep, all surnamed Singh.

Sources said Amardeep was a former president of the Indian Sikh Temple. Gurpreet is his brother. The four have been subjected to paraffin examination and are now detained at the Caloocan City police headquarters pending investigation.

SPO1 Ferdinand Sarmiento, officer on case, said the victims were on their way home at 6:30 p.m. last Sunday on board a maroon Honda CRV (XHC-488) with Bhagwant behind the wheel. As they turned right on Susano street coming from Rizal Avenue Extension, the four suspects fired at them using caliber .45 pistols.

Kumar, who sat in the backseat, jump out of the vehicle, but was chased by the suspects, who apparently mistook him for Bhagwant. He was shot at close range while begging for his life.

Bhagwant, who was hit in the right side of the body, was taken by concerned citizens to the nearest hospital, where he is currently under observation.

Ronnie Gumban, a security guard of the Howard Tower Condominiums, tried to come to the aid of the victims, but was promptly disarmed by other suspects posted at the other end of the street.

Senior Inspector Leonardo Arce, Scene of the Crime Operations team leader, said his group recovered at least 24 empty shells, 10 slugs and two live bullets from caliber .45 pistols.

Police officials fear that the suspects might be freed if Kumar’s immediate family and community elders do not agree to an autopsy.

Superintendent Vladimir Villaseñor, SOCO chief, said the suspects will be freed within 36 hours when no murder charges, a non-bailable offense, are filed against them.

Villaseñor said although a brother of the victim expressed his consent in writing, other relatives and elders opposed the autopsy because it is against Sikh custom. — With Pete Laude