The Denbigh Asylum Killings by Simon McCleave

Author:Simon McCleave [McCleave, Simon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Ruth and French were sitting in Interview Room 1 with Rishi and Molly Davids, a 40-year-old ‘appropriate adult’ provided by the Youth Justice Service.

Ruth looked over at Rishi and stated gently, ‘Just to let you know we are recording this interview, Rishi, in case we need to use any of what you tell us in court. Do you understand that?’

Rishi nodded slowly, but he looked very nervous. ‘Yes.’

Ruth took a few seconds and gave Rishi a reassuring look. ‘Rishi, could you tell us when you last saw your brother, Carmel?’

Rishi blinked and took a breath. He was clearly upset. ‘It was two days ago.’

‘That was Friday?’

‘Yes.’

‘What happened?’

‘They picked him up to go to work, but he didn’t come back.’

Ruth gave him an understanding nod. ‘Who picked Carmel up for work?’

Rishi was hiding something.

French scratched his chin and frowned. ‘Was it Rohan Chopra that collected Carmel for work?’

Rishi nodded slowly but didn’t say anything.

‘Did anyone tell you why Carmel didn’t come back?’ French asked.

‘They said that he had run away,’ Rishi replied in a virtual whisper as he shook his head.

‘Can you tell us when you and your brother Carmel arrived here from India?’ Ruth asked.

Rishi thought for a few seconds. ‘I think it was maybe three months ago, but I cannot tell which date it was.’

‘Okay, thank you,’ Ruth said. ‘Did you travel on your own?’

Rishi shook his head. ‘No. There was a man on the plane with us.’

‘Was it just you, Carmel, and the man on that plane?’ French said.

‘No,’ Rishi replied. ‘There were two girls who came with us. They were from Jaipur.’

‘And you were promised a place at a catering college and a job in a restaurant so that you could learn to cook,’ French said. ‘Is that correct?’

‘Yes,’ Rishi said quietly. ‘That is what the man told my mother.’

French pulled a photograph of Pavan Singh out of a folder. ‘Was this the man that told your mother this?’

Rishi nodded, but again he didn’t say anything. The sight of the photograph had scared him.

‘And did this man travel on the plane with you?’

‘Yes.’

‘But you and your brother never went to a catering college while you were here?’ Ruth asked.

‘No,’ Rishi replied.

‘But you worked in a restaurant,’ Ruth stated, ‘called the Simla. Is that correct?’

‘Yes. Me and Carmel worked there,’ Rishi explained.

French rubbed his jaw and then enquired, ‘Can you tell us how you got the job?’

‘We were given a name and an address.’

‘You were given the address of the Simla restaurant when you arrived here?’ Ruth asked to clarify.

Rishi fiddled nervously with his hands. ‘Yes.’

French glanced over. ‘What was the name you were given?’

There were a few seconds of silence. Rishi was clearly frightened to give them a name.

‘Rishi?’ Ruth asked gently. ‘It’s okay. You’re safe now.’

‘Rohan Chopra,’ Rishi muttered as he looked at the floor.

‘But you didn’t work there for very long, is that right?’ French said.

‘Yes,’ Rishi replied, sounding indignant. ‘They made up a story that we had stolen from them and then told us we could not work there anymore.

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