Wedding for murder survivor postponed

She was supposed to tie the knot in three week’s time, but all plans have now been put on hold and all happy thoughts replaced with uncertainty and hope that 23-year-old Gayatri Devi will not succumb to injuries sustained in an attack that killed her mother and her grandfather in Labasa on Monday.

Devi is in critical condition fighting for her life at the Labasa Hospital ICU after she was struck with an axe by her estranged step father who had earlier axed to death her mother and grandfather on that fateful Monday morning at Vunivau in Labasa.

Her mother, 53-year-old Amra Wati and grandfather, Madho Mehta, 93, died instantly. Devi only managed to escape further attack when her screams of help at 1.30am alerted her elder brother who resides next door.

One of Devi’s family members, Narain Sami Reddy who is a farmer in Valebasoga told FijiLive, the brother who is still in state of shock ran to the deceased’s house and took the axe from their step father.

Reddy said the 57-year-old suspect who is still being questioned by Labasa police usually reside in the United States and hardly came to Fiji. He had only returned from Australia recently. He is the second husband of the deceased and they didn’t have any children together.

The deceased’s late husband whom she had three children with, an insurance officer had died 10 years ago, two years before she remarried.

“Lalita (Amra Wati) always looked after her father-in-law, Madho Mehta and was a very loving lady who had two daughters and a son from her first husband,” Reddy added.

An emotional Reddy said that this incident has shocked their entire family.

 “Gayatri was supposed to be getting married after three weeks and the whole family was eager for her wedding as it was a time for the entire family to come together from Fiji and abroad to celebrate this occasion,” Reddy added.

The family believes that the incident could have stem from issues regarding money.

The post mortem of the two deceased is going to be conducted today.

Fiji Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said, "The 57-year-old man is still under interrogation by Labasa Police."

By Indrani Krishna