A Kiwi-Indian man found critically injured on a Waikato road has died, and two men have been charged with his murder. Darshak Naran, 43, was travelling home to Auckland after visiting a friend in Taupō when he was fatally injured, his mother Hansa Naran has revealed.
“We remember our son as a kind, generous and a hearty man,” Hansa shares with The Indian Weekender.
Naran was discovered on Hampton Downs Rd, Whangamarino, early on Monday morning and died later in Auckland City Hospital. Police have since arrested two men—a 32-year-old from Papakura and a 42-year-old from Auckland—who now face murder charges. Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke, who is leading the investigation, said further arrests or charges may follow as inquiries continue.
Hansa Naran, the victim’s mother, lives in Clarks Beach. She said she remains uncertain how her son ended up on Hampton Downs Rd. “He was just visiting a friend in Taupō and was on his way back to Auckland,” New Zealand Herald quoted her as saying.
The grieving mother said police have not disclosed whether she or her son knew the two men charged with his murder, as their identities remain unknown to her. She also has yet to receive her son’s autopsy report.
“The family is still under the grieving process, only then we can think about the administrative procedures of the case,” she shared
Hansa, an accountant, was recently awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in the New Year Honours for her contributions to the Indian and wider community.
Hansa Naran said her son’s body had been released, and she is preparing for his funeral, likely to be held in Manukau on Tuesday.