A 24 year old mother charged with the murder of her two daughetrs today took the witness stand and told the High Court how circumstances made her drown her two daughters in the Rewa River last year.

Ronika Devi told Judge Justice Isikeli Mataitoga that she was allegedly occasionally beaten and kicked by her husband even when she was pregnant with her first child.

Devi also told the court that due to the alleged assaults, her mind had stopped working and she did not know what to do. She claimed that her husband did not like staying home and used to leave her alone at home to visit his friends.

She recalled on the 21st January, tired and feeling rejected by her husband, she took her two daughters, a 2year old and one year old to Suva Bus Stand where she sat and thought about what she should do and from there she went to the Nausori Bus Stop.

Ronika Devi told the court that she sat there for a while and when darkness approached, she went to the Rewa River and drowned her two daughters. She also tried to drown herself but later came out of the water and went to her brother's place. However she did not tell anyone that she had drowned her daughters. 
 
The case continues this afternoon.