Tushal gives his first statement to the police

Tushal Rughoobin, the 11-year old schoolboy who was stabbed last week at his residence in Camp de Masque Pavé, on Friday 26 February, gave his first statement to the police. Admitted to Flacq hospital after having sustained multiple injuries, he told investigators that he knew the attacker and came across the latter in the village. The child also recalled how he was stabbed by the murderer. The country was horrified last week to learn that a double murder had occurred in Camp de Masque Pavé. The victims were a teenage girl, Yeshna Rughoobin (13) and her grand-mother, Reshma Rughoobin (54). Both were stabbed to death multiple times by a neighbour who was found on the same day lying in a pool of blood at the residence of the Rughoobin. To the police, Tavish A., (17) confessed being the murderer as he was in love with the teenage girl. After his killing spree, he tried to commit suicide by stabbing himself. Yeshna and Reshma died on the spot while Tushal was taken to hospital and underwent life-saving operations for around five hours. According to the surgeon, Tushal is recovering slowly. The prime suspect, Tavish, is at the ICU of a hospital and is recovering. Initially, it was believed the whole incident happened during a robbery. However, the prime suspect told the police that he was in love with Yeshna and killed them. In his first statement, Tavish revealed that he went at the victim’s residence to convince the grandmother. However, the latter was against this relationship and the teenager could not accept that. “The grandmother was refusing to hear what I had to say. In a fit of rage, she seized a knife and tried to attack me. In order to defend myself, I pulled out a knife I had in my possession and attacked her,” he confided to the police. Meanwhile, both Tushal and Yeshna returned from school and saw the murderer trying to clean the traces of blood in the house. Tavish panicked and Tushal tried to alert the neighbours. “I stabbed Tushal, when Yeshna saw me, she tried to save her brother and I stabbed her too,” he said during his interrogation. The parents of Yeshna who were in Australia returned to Mauritius on Saturday. The parents are very shattered. They have asked all Mauritians to pray for their son. It was on Sunday that the funerals took place. Several eminent personalities such as the President of the Republic, Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the former Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, and some Ministers were present.