Fiji police silent on custody reports

Ranjeeta Sharma. Photo / Supplied

Fiji police have refused to confirm that a man wanted in connection with the death of his wife last week has been caught.

Daniel Sharma is reportedly in a police cell in Fiji after flying out of New Zealand the day after his wife, Ranjeeta Sharma, 28, was found burnt to death near Huntly in Waikato last Thursday.

She was alive when accelerant was poured over her and set alight, New Zealand police said.

They said that Mr Sharma, a Fijian National, fled to Fiji with the couple's four-year-old son Akash.

Fred Wesley, editor in chief of the Fiji Times, said this morning: "Our police reporter has been reliably informed the guy is in police custody in Fiji, but police are tight-lipped. They don't want to say anything."

He said police had told them they would make an official statement after lunch today.

It was not clear if the boy had been found.

A Fiji police spokesman told nzherald.co.nz he would have more information at 1pm.

"At the moment Fiji police are working closely with New Zealand police. There are a lot of rumours the guy has been arrested. I'm still awaiting official confirmation the guy has been arrested."

New Zealand police have said that Mr Sharma is a "person of considerable significance" to their investigation into Mrs Sharma's death.

Mrs Sharma, a nurse, was reported to have left the couple's Manurewa home after complaining of being assaulted by her husband.

She was said to have been living at Papatoetoe since last month.

Reports yesterday said Mr Sharma may have had several passports, including a Canadian passport.

- NZPA