A Lower Hutt man accused of fabricating details surrounding a stabbing incident now faces multiple serious charges, including lying to the police, breaching a protection order, and attempted kidnapping, The New Zealand Herald has reported.
Abbas Munshi, 47, suffered stab wounds to his thigh during an incident on June 24. Initially, he claimed a person from his past was behind the attack, stating he feared for his life and had urged police to arrest the individual.
Munshi brought the same details to The Indian Weekender in August 2024, but the publication chose not to pursue the story due to the absence of a investigation and insufficient evidence supporting his account.
Around a month later, The New Zealand Herald published an article, which has since been removed, detailing Munshi’s claims that between October and December of the previous year, he and his family received several visits from a woman he alleged had been threatening to kill him.
This month, the situation took a dramatic turn when Munshi himself was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by allegedly fabricating details about the stabbing and the circumstances surrounding an alleged aggravated robbery.
In addition to these charges, Munshi has been accused of breaching a protection order against the same individual by psychologically abusing them twice and attempting to kidnap them between October and December of last year.
Munshi also faces a charge of making a false statement to police, which authorities say would amount to perjury if it had been made under oath.
Previously, Munshi had spoken to the Herald, describing a series of incidents that he believed were connected to the person from his past. He claimed the individual had made multiple threats against him and his family, leading to the June stabbing. However, the Herald has since retracted the interview following these new developments.
Munshi’s version of events included an alleged encounter with a masked man who mentioned the individual he feared. According to Munshi, the attacker beat and stabbed him despite his attempts to offer money in exchange for his life.
After the assault, Munshi crawled to a nearby home where residents called emergency services. He was taken to the hospital and discharged the next morning. Discharge notes viewed by the Herald indicated he had blunt trauma to the face and stab wounds to his thigh.
Munshi later claimed he received a note revealing the name of his attacker, further implicating the individual from his past.
Munshi appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court this week and applied for bail, which was denied. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, including breaching a protection order, making a false statement, and attempted kidnapping.
His appeal for bail was rejected a second time by Judge Mike Mika during a hearing on Thursday, leaving Munshi in custody until his next court appearance in December.