Suntesh Mittoo.
Durban: A Chatsworth father, who wanted his son to make peace with a teenager who was allegedly harassing him, was killed on Friday, following a dispute.
Suntesh Mittoo, 42, of Westcliff, a medical distribution manager, was stabbed several times. He later died in hospital.
His son Shoaib Shaik, 20, said he went to a nearby shopping complex, on Florence Nightingale Drive, that day. He said he had a prior run-in with the 16-year-old in July, and claimed he was harassed again.
“I went home and told my dad about it. We went to the shopping complex with the intention of making peace and moving forward. But he called his siblings and his dad,” said Shaik.
Shaik said his dad was assaulted with hockey sticks and he was stabbed.
“I tried to intervene but I was stabbed in the arm, and my dad sustained stab wounds to his head, ear, back and chest,” said Shaik.
He said his family arrived and took his father home, before taking him to a doctor's surgery.
“But due to the seriousness of his injuries, we were advised to get him to a hospital. After he was stabilised at Life Chatsmed Hospital, he was transferred to RK Khan Hospital. He died later that day,” said Shaik.
Shaik said: “My father was a humble man and he wanted the best for my younger sister and I. He was there for our family in times of need. I am still traumatised by what happened.”
Mittoo's brother Pranesh Mittoo said: “We will leave no stone unturned until we receive justice for my brother ... He did not like trouble and he would do anything to resolve an issue before it led to a fight. He did not deserve to die in this way.”
SAPS provincial police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said officers from the Chatsworth Police Station arrested two suspects.
“Within hours of the murder, one suspect, aged 51, was arrested and placed in custody. On August 21, the second suspect, aged 16, was arrested,” said Gwala.
The two suspects appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court on Monday. They were remanded in custody at Westville Correctional Services. The case was adjourned for a bail application. Mittoo’s funeral was held on Saturday. He is survived by his wife, Zahira Shaik, and two children.
According to the recently released crime statistics, for the first quarter of the 2021/22 financial year, between April and June 2021, there were 5 760 killings in the country.
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