Judge orders production of murder accused after lawyers say he is missing

The High Court in Suva has intervened after lawyers told the court they were unable to locate an 18-year-old high school student charged with murder.

Rihaal Kumar, who is accused in relation to the death of Sharuf Shaakir Khan at a Suva apartment complex in July 2025, was called before High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar today.

Kumar did not appear in court when his matter was mentioned.

Defence lawyer Mark Anthony told the court that his legal team had been unable to locate their client and had not met with him for some time.

Anthony said the defence had been in contact with Kumar’s parents, who were also experiencing difficulty accessing their son.

He told the court that Kumar’s parents went to the remand centre last Tuesday to visit him but were asked to return on Thursday. When they returned, they were again told to come back on another day. The same response was given during a subsequent attempt to visit.

Anthony also raised concerns about Kumar’s wellbeing, telling the court that during the family’s last visit, Kumar appeared withdrawn and unusually quiet, which caused concern for his father.

Justice Goundar asked the State whether it was aware of Kumar’s current location.

State Counsel Bhavna Kantharia told the court that the prosecution was also unaware of where Kumar was being held.

In response, Justice Goundar issued a production order and directed that Kumar be admitted as an in-patient at St Giles Hospital for observation.

The judge ordered that Kumar be produced before the High Court at 2.30pm on January 22.