The phone rang at 8am yesterday.

It was the Police. They had called Sanjini Radhika, 42, to come and verify if a taxi found in Jittu Estate in Samabula was her husband’s.

Her husband Edward Anil Raj, 47, left their home in Votua Road in Narere on Sunday 6pm. That was the last time his family would see him. Mr Raj’s body was found in Natuatua Settlement in Toga in Nausori.

An emotional Ms Radhika said identifying her husband in the morgue was the hardest thing she had ever done.

This happened around 10am yesterday.

She said that there were wounds on her husband’s neck and his body was partially burnt.

She said she overheard the doctor say that the vein in his neck was severed.

“My husband was a loved man. He looks after, feeds 12 people in total. Our four children, me, my mother, his mother, my sister’s children, grandchildren and some family members,” she said.

“I cannot think why someone would want to do this to my husband. I am pleading with the public to come forward if they have any information that would help the Police.”

Ms Radhika said her husband was a masseur as well and he had gone to massage someone on Sunday evening.

Mr Raj would in most cases reach home at 10pm. Ms Radhika said he always returned home and never stayed anywhere.

“So when he did not come home, I prayed for his safety and hoped he would be safe. Around 3am, I thought I heard him cough outside. I opened the door but no one was there,” Ms Radhika said.

Yesterday morning, one of Mr Raj’s children started reading the Police update on the body found in Nausori.

Ms Radhika said she told her children not to read that because she did not want that to be her beloved husband.

But the phone call at 8am, turned the family’s world upside down.

Daughter, Catherine Raj, said this was a fearful thing to happen. She said her father was a taxi driver and by the look of things, driving a taxi was becoming a very dangerous profession.

She said there was blood in the taxi and the inside was partially burnt.

The family believe their patriarch was taken from them by selfish thugs.

Neighbours gathered at the family residence yesterday. All saying that they were bewildered as to who would want to hurt Mr Raj.

Ms Radhika said her husband helped around the community and at most times offer rides to people without even taking fare.

Police are yet to classify the incident as they await the post mortem results.

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