Gang attacks farmer
ABOUT 35 years ago, a Labasa canefarmer was attacked and beaten following an argument between two groups from the Ranibulu settlement in Labasa.
The incident was covered in an article by The Fiji Times on October 2, 1986.
Chandar Deo, who was 35 years old at the time was attacked by four men around 11am while he was out harvesting cane on his farm which was a kilometer from his home.
The article said he was beaten with sticks and stones.
He sustained a deep knife wound to his left hand, injuries on his left eye from being stabbed with a stick along with body injuries from stones that hit him.
After receiving treatment from the Labasa Hospital, he left despite being asked to stay as an in-patient because he thought of the safety and welfare of his family.
“I left for the safety of my family,” he said.
The next day residents at the settlement stayed in their homes for their safety while a family abandoned their house and sought shelter from nearby Viakana settlement.
This family left in fear after being threatened by the attackers for helping Mr Deo when he was chased from their cane field.
The Fiji Times was informed by residents in the area that working in the farms and venturing outside was not safe at the time.
His brother-in-law Babu Lal said living in the area was unsafe as the police refused to assist or help them.
“Trouble has been brewing in this settlement for almost a month now,” said Mr Lal.
“The last time three families grouped against us, and my house was stoned as attackers walked into my house armed with sticks and walked away with some of our belongings.
“The police came and questioned some people but did nothing about it.”
Fellow residents made a claim that the police took three of the attackers but a month after that, nothing eventuated from it.
The Fiji Times asked for comments from a police spokesperson at the time and he said, “all I can say is that the police are investigating”.
Mr Deo shared at the time that he was cutting cane at his farm with his brother and a son Jitendra Deo,16, when they were approached by a man at the boundary of his farm.
He asked for Mr Deo to come to him.
“When I refused, he started following me inside the farm and suddenly out of nowhere three other men appeared, “he said.
“One of them threw a stone which hit me on my shoulder.
“As I turned to protect myself another man threw a stone which hit my left eye.”
The attackers started to beat him using sticks.
He said when he looked up, he saw one of them was armed with a cane knife.
“I quickly turned around and started running for my brother-in-law’s house about 50 metres from the farm.
“One of them came from the side and lunged at me with the knife.
“I dodged and the knife hit my left hand.”
He entered his brotherin-law’s house and locked the door.
“We are very thankful to the villages for saving our lives.
“We were really scared and thought the attackers would kill us.”
When I refused, he started following me inside the farm and suddenly out of nowhere three other men appeared
– Chandar Deo