His family were slain, now he's been bashed

Dev Sangha. Photo / APN

A Tauranga man whose wife and daughter were brutally murdered a year ago has been attacked by thugs.

Dev Sangha, who is marking the one-year anniversary of the death of his wife Ravneet and 2-year-old daughter Anna, is still recovering after being set upon by a group of five people when he refused to give them a free taxi ride.

Mr Sangha had returned to fulltime work as a taxi driver just three weeks before the May 21 attack on him and his car.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the incident, Mr Sangha said that he now planned to give up taxi driving.

Mr Sangha, 38, said he was punched in retaliation after he refused the group a free ride from Mount Maunganui to Bayfair.

His 2004 Toyota Camry was left with dents after the group, aged in their early 20s, allegedly kicked and punched it. His front car bumper was also damaged.

The attack, which Mr Sangha described as "very scary", has been reported to police.

He is yet to hear if any arrests have been made and told the Bay of Plenty Times he had now lost his confidence.

Mr Sangha said he was called to a house at 10.40pm, and three females and two males wanted a ride. Mr Sangha told them he could not take five people in one car, and ordered a second taxi.

A male and female got into Mr Sangha's taxi and when he reached the corner of Maunganui Rd and Leinster Ave, they told him they did not intend to pay the full fare.

Mr Sangha parked his car and they got out. The three people in the other taxi also got out, and together they pounced on him.

One male punched Sangha through the driver's window, and the rest of the group kicked and punched his car. He called police on his cellphone, and the group ran off.

Mr Sangha said he was sick of patrons disrespecting taxi drivers and he planned to quit the business once he sold his taxi and his share in Tauranga/Mount Taxis.

His focus now is on remembering his wife and daughter, who were murdered on June 4, last year at their Ngatai Rd home.

Deepak Nagpal was this year sentenced to life imprisonment with a 20-year non-parole period for the murders.

To mark the anniversary of the deaths, Mr Sangha was to travel to Auckland to pray at Bhartia Mandir Temple, before spending the afternoon in Tauranga with friends.

Since the murders, he has returned to his former Ngatai Rd home to have the house blessed by a priest.

He has also set up the Otumoetai-based R&A Sangha Cricket Club in memory of his wife and daughter. He coaches fast bowling.

Next year he plans to embark on fulltime study at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic to obtain his diploma in sport and leisure and pursue a career in cricket coaching.

In August, he will travel to India to visit family.

Life continues to be hard, but he is persevering. "It's not easy, but I am more composed about my future".

In February, he appeared in a feature article in the Bay of Plenty Times and said that following that, "so many people in Tauranga recognise me and have supported me".

Police were not available for comment.

- APN