Mother rejects claims son was pressured over romance

Jeet Singh's mother tells murder trial family never forced him to end relationship with accused couple's daughter

The mother of deceased teenage Jeet Singh has rejected defence claims that she and her husband pressured their son over his relationship with Farnaaz Nisha, telling the High Court that their concern was primarily focused on his education.

Jyotika Singh gave evidence yesterday before Justice Riyaz Hamza in the trial of Mohammed Naushad and his wife, Nazreen Nisha Khan, who are jointly charged with Jeet's murder.

Naushad also faces a charge of criminal intimidation.

The court heard that Jeet had been in a relationship with the couple's daughter, Farnaaz.

The State alleges that Jeet was forced to ingest a chemical at the accused couple's home at Waiqali Settlement, Maro, Sigatoka, on June 20, before he was later found dead outside his girlfriend's residence.

Giving evidence, Ms Singh said she first became aware of the relationship after receiving a call from Nadroga Arya College, where Jeet was then a student.

She told the court that she attended a meeting at the school and met Farnaaz, who introduced herself as Jeet's girlfriend.

According to Ms Singh, she was taken into an office where Jeet, Farnaaz and Farnaaz's parents were present. The discussion centred on alleged love bites discovered on the teenagers' necks.

Following the meeting, Ms Singh said she advised her son to focus on his studies and later enrolled him at Cuvu College.

During cross-examination, defence counsel suggested Jeet was unhappy about changing schools and had been told by his parents to end the relationship.

Ms Singh disagreed.

She told the court that during the school meeting, Naushad had allegedly stated that if Jeet did not change schools, Farnaaz would be married off.

Ms Singh said Jeet responded by telling those present that he was willing to change schools for his girlfriend.

The defence further suggested that pressure from his parents affected Jeet emotionally, causing him to become withdrawn and reluctant to discuss personal issues.

Ms Singh denied those assertions. Attention then turned to the family's former sugarcane farming activities.

The defence suggested the Singh family still had agricultural chemicals, including pesticides and weedicide, stored in a farm shed despite ceasing farming operations several years ago.

Ms Singh rejected the claim, telling the court she was unaware of any such chemicals being kept on the property.

In emotional evidence, Ms Singh recounted events on June 20, when the family allegedly received a distressing call from Farnaaz.

She said her father-in-law answered the phone and was told that Jeet had been tied up by Farnaaz's parents and was being forced to drink a chemical.

The court heard that the call awakened her husband, who then accompanied Farnaaz to lodge a report with police.

Acting on her husband's instructions, Ms Singh said she contacted Naushad to ask about her son's whereabouts.

She told the court that Naushad informed her that Jeet and Farnaaz had jumped out of a window and run away.

Ms Singh said she and her father-in-law then began searching for Jeet while she contacted police to relay the information.

The trial continues today.