The doctor on duty at the Valelevu Health centre in July 2008 today took to the witness box to answer to allegations that one of the seven men accused of raping and then murdering a woman in Omkar in Narere, was allegedly abused while in custody.

On the 11th of July, Nahima Naaz was the doctor who attended to the seventh accused, Vinesh Kumar.

According to the defence counsel, Kumar was abused while in custody.

While giving witness, Doctor Naaz informed the High Court that on that day, the accused and a Police officer came to her for a regular check-up.

She stressed that there was no mention of Police brutality and all she did was give him a clean bill of health without having a full body check.

When asked during cross examination why she did not ask Kumar to take off his clothes, Doctor Naaz said that in her five years of experience it would have been deemed as unnecessary as there was no mention at all of abuse.

She added that on that day when Kumar came for a checkup, he was calm and was walking normally and therefore she did not do any further checks such as taking his heart rate, his temperature or even do a full body check.

She added that there were also no tests in Fiji that would show if chili had been used to abuse the accused.

She also told the Court that it was normal practice for a Police officer to be present during such check-ups as she did not feel safe when left alone with any person accused of a crime.

This is after Doctor Naaz was asked as to whether a Police officer's presence was required as they would only make the accused scared.

Kumar along with Anesh Ram, Keshwa Nand, Vikash Chand, Sat Dewan Nair, Ilaitia Waqa, and Anil Singh are alleged to have on the 8th of June raped and then murdered a woman in Omkar Narere.

The body of the victiom was found floating in the Narere river close to a week later.

The investigating officer in the case Deputy Sergeant Falemaka Mamoe takes to the stand this afternoon.


Story by: Paradise Tabucala