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Fijian man allegedly beaten and ‘left to die’

Monday 5 September 2016 | Published in Regional

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FIJI – A Fiji businessman was reportedly beaten and left for dead after being attacked in his home on Tuesday, allegedly by security forces.

The man, Rajneel Singh, had late last year revealed an alleged assassination plot against senior members of the Fiji government.

A video showing Rajneel Singh in Fiji lying on the floor of his home during the attack has been posted on social media.

The video has been confirmed as genuine by his lawyer Aman Ravindra-Singh.

“I can confirm that he had been attacked on Tuesday of this wee. I personally visited him at the hospital.

“Now what I can ascertain is that this was an attempted murder on Rajneel Singh. Because after he was beaten a plastic bag was tied over his head and fastened with industrial tape while his hands and legs where also tied with industrial tape.

“From what I gather he had been left to choke and possibly die. So that is why I am concluding that it was an attempted murder. Fortunately for Rajneel Singh, one of his family members returned home to find him in that state.”

The lawyer says his client is in a bad condition but has been released from hospital and is back living with family members in a undisclosed location.

Radio New Zealand’s Dateline Pacific asked Ravindra-Singh if he knew who was behind the attack.

“He has obviously mentioned a few things – but it is very difficult for him to even speak with all the trauma that is associated with that particular attack.

“I have managed to find out a few things and from what he has described there were two persons. There were I think signs of persons wearing Fiji police force attire. And at the scene of the attempted murder, when I visited his home, there is a jacket which has the Fiji police force insignia but that is what I have been told. Now obviously it could be anyone wearing a jacket.”

He was asked why would the police be involved in such an incident.

“This man was tortured by members of the Fiji police force and members of the security forces including the military on or about the 21st of November last year – as far as I am concerned there has been a concerted effort to cover up the persons who are involved in torturing Rajneel Singh.

“It is not rocket science for the investigators to find out who exactly were behind this incident. See, two months away from now it will be a year – and not one single person has been brought to justice or has been charged and brought to the court.

“Not one single person has been interviewed as a suspect in the incident of torturing, brutally torturing Rajneel Singh.

“And it is not difficult, Rajneel Singh was picked up outside Ba police station on or about the 21st of November by members of the police force.

“He was taken in a vehicle, which was a police vehicle, by four men. He was tied, handcuffed and hooded and taken into the interior of Ba where there were other men who took turns in torturing and brutalising Rajneel Singh.

“Now this is a serious crime and yet the Fiji police force – despite all its assurances, all the rhetoric – has not been able to apprehend one single person. In fact as far as I am concerned no one will be brought to justice.

“This is an everyday occurrence and here we see an attempted murder taking place. The Fiji police force –despite being informed on the very day (of Singh’s alleged attempted murder last week) – have yet to take any action, in fact they have yet to even visit the scene of the crime.

“There was a member of the police force present at the hospital when I visited Rajneel and we all agreed to go and visit the crime scene and halfway through, this man, this police vehicle pulled off and went on a different tangent.

“So I am very confused. I contacted a senior member of police I even sent him a text message after my phone call was not received to say that there has been an attempt to murder Rajneel Singh.” - RNZI