Trio pleads not guilty in Indian dairy worker's murder in NZ
Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Dec, 2022 12:53 PM
Wellington, Dec 14 (IANS) Three men charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of an Indian dairy worker in New Zealand have pleaded not guilty to the crime, and will go to trial in 2024, media reports said.
Janak Patel, 34, was stabbed multiple times last month at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham, Auckland, where he worked. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, leading police to launch a 48-hour manhunt resulting in the arrest of three men who were charged with murder and aggravated robbery.
Appearing together for the first time in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday, the three entered not guilty pleas through their lawyers, stuff.co.nz reported.
Justice Sally Fitzgerald set a trial date down for five weeks in May 2024.
Of the three, a 34-year-old man has been charged with Patel's murder, as well as aggravated robbery.
His lawyer sought interim name suppression, according to the report.
The other two -- Henry Fred and Shane Henry Tane -- have been accused of robbery.
Nationwide protests were held across New Zealand after Patel's killing with people turning up in huge numbers shouting 'enough is enough' in front of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's electoral office in Auckland's Mt Albert, IANS had reported.
Most of the dairy owners and workers said they fear going to work after Patel's brutal killing.
Following Patel's death, New Zealand announced new measures to counter retail crime, which included providing a NZ$4,000 subsidy to shop owners to install fog cannons in their shops to stop burglaries.
Future administrations, be they Democrat or Republican, are unlikely to forget the lessons of 2016 any time soon, a panel of trade experts agreed Thursday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with other federal party leaders, rose in the House of Commons Thursday to pay their own tributes ahead of the Nov. 11 commemorations.
With police keeping a respectful distance, supporters of Democratic nominee Joe Biden danced in the streets at the corner of Arch and South 12th St., while watching the dozen or so Donald Trump supporters on the other side of waist-high barricades.
WATCH: A deadly terrorist attack has targeted France. According to Police, three people have been killed in a knife attack at a church in the French city of Nice.
Harry talked about racial inequality and social justice in a video discussion with the Black Lives Matter activist Patrick Hutchinson as part of the GQ Heroes Conference, which is being broadcast this week.
.jpg "Trump formally lets Canadian aluminum off hook")
