Anita Devi has been living in fear since her home was broken into by four men on May 28.
The 60-year-old widow has resided at Nacilau in Tuvu, Lautoka for 40 years, and now lives alone after her children moved overseas.
On Wednesday last week some men allegedly entered her residence through a window close to midnight.
Ms Devi alleged the masked men spoke in iTaukei to each other and allegedly made off with bottles of gin, mobile phones, four sealed boxes of perfume, wristwatches, jewellery, a TV set, three suitcases and $A1000 which had been given to her by visiting family members from Australia.
She claimed they also cleared out her groceries and frozen goods before driving off in her car.
“There were two inside, but I saw four glasses of water on my table after they left, so maybe there were four of them,” she claimed.
“They took some of my husband’s tools and shoes. I don’t think they are from here because everyone here knows me.”
Recalling the incident, she claimed two men bound her wrists and feet with a wire.
“Before they left, they threw me to the other side where the corridor was, and they took everything. They put the 10kg rice and the sewing machine on my body to stop me from moving,” Ms Devi claimed.
She alleged it took the intruders about two hours to ransack her house.
“My wrists were injured, and my body ached because they kicked me while I was laying down. They used one tiny rope and then they went over it with another wire to tie my hands,” she claimed.
“I was able to loosen the wire around my legs, but I had to go to my neighbours to cut the wire around my hands. The first neighbour I went to refused to help me because he was sleepy. The second neighbour helped me,” she claimed.
Ms Devi has sought assistance from the public to provide her an alternative location for her to stay in because she fears the men might return.
Police Commander West Senior Superintendent of Police Iakobo Vaisewa confirmed receiving a report of the incident.
“We are still investigating this and there’s a dedicated team working on the case,” he said.
SSP Vaisewa said the police were yet to determine how many men were involved.
“We request the public’s assistance in providing information regarding this incident.”
