Rashmika Janthielayal was stabbed in the face and body after an argument with her on-off boyfriend in Pietermaritzburg.
|||Durban - A 17-year-old student was stabbed to death at the uMgungundlovu FET College’s Northdale campus in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, allegedly by her “on-off” boyfriend, said to have been harassing and threatening her for months.
A close friend said that minutes after the 18-year-old hospitality student allegedly murdered first-year hairdressing student Rashmika Janthielayal, he phoned her mother, Shireen, to tell her what he had done.
“Her mother then phoned me to ask what had happened. At that stage I knew nothing and told her that as far as I knew her daughter was fine.”
As soon as the call ended, the friend, who was on campus, received another call. This time it was from a student, who told her that Janthielayal had been stabbed.
The friend rushed to the scene and found Janthielayal lying in a pool of blood. Lecturers had been trying to resuscitate her.
The woman said that Janthielayal had confided in her. She said she was uncertain how long the couple had been dating, but Janthielayal had told her that for the past three months her boyfriend had been threatening her and her family.
The friend had seen threatening text messages sent to Janthielayal’s cellphone from the man.
Apparently her family had also obtained an interdict against the man to stop him harassing her.
“She used to speak to him because she thought that if she did, he would stop harassing her and her family... He made a mockery of her... He used to tell her family that she was a slut and was pregnant.”
The friend said the couple had broken up again on Friday.
“She lived in fear of her life. I promised her mother that I would protect her and I did try my best. I used to make sure she wasn’t alone on campus.”
Janthielayal was from Greytown and lived with an aunt and uncle in Pietermaritzburg.
Police spokeswoman Joey Jeevan said Janthielayal had been standing on a staircase on campus during the morning tea break, chatting to the man, when they had an argument.
The man allegedly took out a knife and stabbed her several times in the face, neck and body and then ran off.
Paramedics were called and tried to resuscitate her, but she died shortly afterwards.
Jeevan said that the suspect was arrested and charged with murder.
Janthielayal’s father, Ricky, declined to comment. Messages left for the principal of the college were not returned.
The Mercury