Haroon Rasheid of 362 Section 'B', Non Pariel, was attacked as he held a wake for his wife who was to be buried yesterday.

In the ordeal he was robbed of $400 he had in his pocket, $7,000 he had in the house, and a television set, among other things.

He was yesterday afternoon in critical condition in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, badly traumatised and nursing third degree burns.

A former employee of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council who went into retirement after suffering a stroke on his left side, relatives said Rasheid lived with his wife Amia Rasheid, 55, until Saturday last when she was struck down by a motorcycle and killed on the Melanie Damishana road, East Coast Demerara.

His sister, Bibi Yusuf said that the couple was childless.

She recalled that on Saturday, his wife left her husband at home and went to the Mon Repos Market, also on the East Coast, to shop.

As she was returning home around 13:00 hrs, she was about to cross the Melanie road to access Non Pariel when she was struck down by a motorcycle.

Sadly recounting the incident, Bibi said that when her sister-in-law was struck down, she was left to lie on the road, bleeding, and no one immediately picked her up. She said the sun was blazing hot, and so was the road on which the injured woman lay bleeding.

"It was not until the Police came that she was picked up, and that was about half an hour later," she said.

She said the motorcyclist was also injured, probably unconscious too, and so was unable to render any help.

Bibi, who lives further up on the East Coast, said they did not receive the message until later in the day.

Meanwhile, Haroon who, over the last four days had been having a difficult time trying to come to terms with the death of his wife of several years, was sitting in a very pensive mood on a chair under his house where the wake was being kept when the intruders struck.

Relatives said the bandits on a rampage in Non Pariel took Rasheid's home by storm.

At that hour there were only a few persons left at the wake, along with the incapacitated widower, and the terrified persons reportedly began running helter skelter, diving for cover.

The bandits, armed with weapons, reportedly called on Rasheid for money and jewellery and when he told them he was just a pensioner and had no money they became outraged.

Some barged upstairs and ransacked the house, taking away the television set and petty cash, among other things.

Others downstairs doused Rasheid with kerosene and set him ablaze.

Even as the clothing on the helpless man began to burn, witnesses said he sat in the chair unable to move because of his stroke.

After the intruders left the home those on the scene put the blaze out and rushed the badly burned Rasheid to hospital.

The entire top portion of his body - from his head down to his seat was burnt, witnesses said.

As Haroon Rashied lay helpless in hospital yesterday, sympathisers converged at his home once more in preparation for the funeral service for his wife - Amia.