Police say the issue regarding the missing items in a murder case from about 10 years ago will be looked into by the cold cases team that has taken over the case.
This is after a woman whose husband was allegedly murdered in Lautoka in June 2016, formally complained to Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu about the disappearance of the personal property belonging to her late husband, Salesh Chand,
Speaking to fijivillage News, Ranjani Devi says for nearly a decade, she has sought justice for her husband’s unsolved murder.
Chand's charred body was found in his burning company vehicle at the Fiji Sugar Corporation mill yard in Lautoka.
Following the post mortem, it was classified as a murder case.
No arrests have been made.
Devi says the sad reality is that she needs to keep contacting Police on what is happening and they do not even bother to give her any updates on the unsolved case.
She says adding to this tragedy is the alarming discovery that personal items of high sentimental value, a gold chain and gold pendant, have gone missing while in the custody of the Fiji Police Force.
Devi says on June 8th, 2016, at Lautoka Hospital, a nurse handed these items to the Crime Officer in charge at the time.
She says in the presence of her, her sister, and brother-in-law, the Crime Officer placed the jewellery into a small plastic bag.
Devi says despite the items being taken into custody in their presence, the officers failed to provide any written receipt or seizure form to her at that time.
She adds for years, CID Headquarters in Toorak verbally assured her the items were being held as exhibits.
However, during a meeting last week at CID Headquarters, an officer called the Crime Officer on speakerphone, and she was shocked that the officer denied any knowledge of the items.
Devi says it is deeply distressing that the officer who led the investigation and personally took possession of these items is now denying their existence.
She says if no written record exists in Police Registry, it suggests a severe breach of police procedure or the theft of evidence by a high-ranking officer.
Devi says given that there has been no progress in solving her husband's murder after nearly ten years, there is no longer a justification for these items to be withheld.
She is requesting that Tudravu institute an immediate investigation into the whereabouts of these items and arrange for their immediate return to her.
