‘Enough is enough’: Pleas for action in wake of Sandringham dairy stabbing

Shop owners are demanding more action from the Government on crime following the killing of dairy worker Janak Patel, who was fatally stabbed in Auckland.

Shop owners and supporters gathered in Te Marae o Hine/The Square in Palmerston North on Sunday afternoon to pay their respects to Patel, 34, who was killed on Wednesday night when the Rose Cottage Superette dairy in Sandringham where he was working was robbed.

Dozens of dairy and shop owners in Palmerston North closed their stores to attend the gathering.

Paul Patel, the immediate past president of the New Zealand Indian Central Association and the vice president of the Central Districts Indian Association, hosted the gathering.

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With a photo of Janak Patel displayed at the foot of the cenotaph, attendees lit candles, spoke, sang and observed a minute’s silence.

Signs carried messages such as: “Enough is enough. We want action now. We deserve better.”

Paul Patel wanted more action from the Government over these type of crimes. It wasn’t just about the Indian community, it concerned everyone.

“People need to stand together to inform the Government from today onwards that enough is enough. We expect answers, we expect communication between people, between the community and between businesses.

“We need to do a lot more. Not just invite people to say a few words in Parliament or meet someone to say a few words.”

He said many of those gathered worked in shops to provide for their families. It only took one desperate person, seeking cash or cigarettes, for things to go wrong.

“There’s all types of people in the community concerned for their lives. Innocent people doing a hard day’s work out there in a dairy, a superette, a liquor store, a petrol station, all doing work.”

Paul Patel said the police had done a fantastic job making arrests related to Janak Patel’s death.

He encouraged shop owners to report crimes no matter how small to ensure the police had a record.

Four Square Awapuni owner Vijay Patel, who was punched during a robbery two years ago, said there had been a major spike in serious incidents at supermarkets in recent years including assault, robbery and violence, which was a concern for grocers.

“As a retailer we have a responsibility to serve the community. The safety and security of the staff we employ, the teams, the people that visit, that’s a priority.

“We get up and to go work every morning, in the early hours of the morning, to come home safe every night.”

Jayesh Patel owns the Rangiora Mini Supermarket in Palmerston North.

His face was cut during a robbery a few years ago. While he hadn’t experienced any other incidents at his store in the past five years, he knew many others who had, and they were scared to speak up.

He asked was it going to come to someone else being killed.

”For what? I can’t accept that kind of thing. The message is ‘enough is enough’. The Government needs to take action.”

Chirag Jangid spoke to the crowd. He was worried about the increasing number of reports of threats and violence towards workers among his circle of contacts. It was at odds with the New Zealand he knew.

“It has to be stopped. People like me, I chose to be in New Zealand.

“I wasn’t born here. I chose it for a reason because it’s a peaceful country and nice, beautiful people. If we’re going to miss that, we are going in the wrong direction.”