ON a day in 1981, a family was shocked by the murder of a Lautoka woman by her husband who later took his own life.
According to an article published by The Fiji Times on January 27 that year, the deceased were farmer Ram Narayan and his wife, Sunanda Kumari.
Police said Narayan hit his wife in the neck with a cane knife about 40 yards from their home.
He returned home and threatened his children with the knife, injuring one of them.
The children then fled to their uncle’s house and Mr Narayan hung himself.
Police discovered the body of their mother after receiving a call from the children.
Soon after, Mr Narayan’s body was found.
Detective Inspector Jahir Khan said police had been trying to establish a motive behind the killing.
The injured son, Bimal Kumar said after his parents left their house, his father returned with his hair disarrayed and told him he had killed his mother.
Kumar said his father had swung the knife at him, but he grabbed it near the handle, cutting his hand. He said he threw the knife outside.
The article said Kumar alerted his siblings soon after his father tried to attack him.
The eldest son, Pranil Kumar, said he woke up and tried to hold his father back.
He said they went to the house of an uncle and from there contacted the police.
Pranil, who is the only family member working, said he could not think of any reason for his father’s actions.
“There were no money problems, and I just cannot understand it,” he said.
“I think we will stay on in this place because we have to be brave and face up to it.”
Relatives at the scene said Mr Narayan had cared for his family well and was a good farmer working on his 10-acre cane land.
