Death is inevitable, but when someone saves you from its clutches, you tend to feel humbled and thankful toward your saviour.

Those were the sentiments from Dharmen Krishna, a taxi driver at Labasa Town.

Mr Krishna recalled how a former Police officer, Samuela Ligairi, saved his life after he was robbed, stabbed and thrown into a drain at Cawaira, Labasa, by a group of youths.

He labelled Mr Ligairi ‘as a true friend chosen by God’.

The incident which happened back in 2006, was a gruesome event that led to the Krishna family going through a difficult phase where the sole breadwinner was unable to financially support his family.

Mr Krishna said following the incident, he was admitted at the Labasa Hospital under treatment and observation for one month.

“My entire body was in pain from the three major stabbings on the back of the neck, right thigh and right hand and because of this, it took me more than a year to recover,” he said.

He described how on the day of the incident, he was rescued by Mr Ligairi, who was on duty after a call was made by a pregnant woman, who was the first to identify him after the incident.

Mr Krishna said his saviour-turned-brother, Mr Ligairi, had inspired and supported him during his road to recovery.

“During my recovery period, I was regularly visited by him to check and pray for my health which was a heart-touching moment for me and my family,” he reiterated.

The 48-year-old said the former Police officer helped him during the court proceedings which eventually led to the sentencing of the three youths.

“We had many taxi drivers, who were victims of abuse and robbery during a period of constant attacks during that time,” he said.

Day of Event
Mr Krishna said on the day of the incident, he picked youths from Labasa Town and drove to his said destination at Siberia Branch Road.

“I was stopped at an isolated location and the front seat passenger paid the fare, after which the back seat passenger on the right attacked and stabbed me in on the chest and pulled me out of the driver’s seat,” he said.

“I was placed on the back seat and one of the youths drove the car to Cawaira, the said location where I was thrown.”

Mr Krishna tried to get out of the vehicle by unlocking the backdoor, but failed and was brutally punched and tortured.

He was later thrown in the drain and the perpetrators fled the scene with the taxi.

The father-of-one then shouted cries for help and was finally heard by a woman who knew him.

“They rescued me and called the Police for help take me to the hospital as I was in a critical state.”

Good Samaritan’s Calling
Mr Ligairi’s acts of courage and continued persistence to support Mr Krishna, could only be described as an act by a Good Samaritan.

“I believe this was a calling from God because the call was directed for me to answer after the initial officer was unable to hear the report properly,” he said.

The father-of-four said he was humbled at the opportunity to have been bestowed upon by this great call for help.

“I went out of the ambit of the Police procedures, for instance, I did not write the report because the victim was fighting a life-death situation and any further delays could have led to his death,” he said.

The 41-year-old, who served for 15 years before he left the Police Force, believes racial unity is a vital part of promoting peace Mr Ligairi said he meets Mr Krishna every time he had free time and converses with him about the happenings of the tragic day.

“For me, this was one of the most intense moments where I had to save a human life and prevent him from any life-threatening injuries during the transfer to the hospital,” he added.

 
Feedback: sampras.anand@fijisun.com.fj