Arrest in Huntly homicide

29 January 2011

Waikato Police, investigating last week's murder of a South Auckland woman found burned to death on the side of a road west of Huntly, arrested a man in Hamilton overnight.

Head of the Operation Hangapipi investigation, Detective Senior Sergeant Nigel Keall said the 29-year-old South Auckland man has been charged with murder and will appear in the Hamilton District Court this morning.

"Any decision on identifying the man will be made by the court later today."

Mr Keall said some of the officers working on the investigation in Fiji had returned to New Zealand and their work had been able to progress forward with the full support of Fijian Police.

"He was not arrested in Fiji, nor was extradition necessary and our team was able to progress the investigation with the full support of Fijian Police.

One of the main priorities for officers in working in Fiji had been establishing the ongoing care and protection of the victim's four-year-old son who has returned to New Zealand.

"Our team have been liaising with Child Youth and Family who now have the boy in their care and we will continue to provide information and assistance to them as required."

Child, Youth and Family Midlands Regional Director Greg Versalko said CYFS is focused on what is best for this young boy who has so tragically lost his mother.

"He is being well looked after by Child, Youth and Family foster parents in the Waikato at the moment as there is no family immediately available in New Zealand to care for him.

"We will work closely with his wider family to explore what will be best for him for his future."

Mr Keall paid credit to the efforts of his team, made up of officers from both the Waikato and Counties Manukau Districts whose endeavours had enabled the case to progress to the point that it was now before the courts.

"When you consider that this time last week we were in the position of having an unidentified body and no point to progress on from there, to be where we are now is a real testament to the efforts of the team and the good work all those involved have put in."

The funeral of the victim, 28-year-old Ranjeeta Sharma, was held in Fiji yesterday and was attended by a member of the investigation team acting on behalf of NZ Police.

End

© Scoop Media