Even as they grieve over the death of their dear son, the family of Tarun Asthana have no ill-feeling towards the man accused of being the cause of it all.
Hundreds of men and women offered prayers at the mass held for the 25-year old teacher trainee and part time DJ on November 9 at Catholic Church of Christ the King (Richardson Road in Mt Roskill).
Red was the colour seen at the service, as a mark of respect for the deceased who held the colour close to his heart and maintained a red wardrobe.
His younger sister Tarika described the deceased as ‘Guardian Angel and Protector,’ and said that Tarun had the ‘art for living.’
His lawyer Michael Kidd said that Tarun’s penchant for pushing boundaries on his motorbike had left him battered and bruised over the years.
“But he always bounced back. His riding style also attracted the interest of the Police. I asked a psychologist to talk to him. He returned and said that Tarun was hyperactive. He touched our lives,” he said.
Spiritual man
Kidd, also a pastor, thanked Tarun for touching his life.
“Tarun shared a quality that has brought many people to his funeral service. He was a genius in his own way, and had a spiritualside, which was most enduring to me. He was an angel in many ways,” he said.
Tarun’s mother Yvette thought that her worst fears had come true when she heard that her son had been hospitalised following severe head injuries.
Wellington based Police Inspector Rakesh Naidoo said that Tarun, a resident of Mt Albert was knocked to the ground outside a fast food outlet near Britomart shortly after 5 am on November 3.
“Tarun died in Auckland Hospital at about 1130 am on November 4. He was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death and had been on a life support system since he was allegedly assaulted by a 27 year-old naval rating man.”
The New Zealand Herald said in its web edition that the Court denied name suppression to the accused, rejecting an application submitted by his lawyer John Corby, stating that the defendant’s 80-year-old grandmother was not in good health.
Mr Corby also objected to media reports that characterised the attack as a ‘brutal assault’ on Mr Asthana, saying that was not a fair description.
McFarland did not enter a plea and was remanded on bail until November 15.
