BANTING: "Thank God I've got my three children back to love me as their father."
"My previous three children have finally stopped blaming me for their mother's death. Now the police have finally contacted me about her murder last year."
Such was the emotional and tearful relief for workshop owner P. Balasandram, 54, after feeling he had been stonewalled by relatives, friends and also the police - following the brutal and fatal attack on his wife Selvi Tholan in April last year.
Balasandram said his three children - aged 20, 16 and 14 - blamed him for dealings he had with one of the lawyers, who are now prime suspects in the murders of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and several others.
The two younger children were especially aggrieved by the loss of their mother accusing Balasandram of having mixed with the wrong crowd - resulting in two unknown assailants stabbing and slashing Selvi in front of their house in Taman Cempaka.
The bleeding victim was seen by a neighbour, who called the police. The eldest child, who slept through the attack, was the next to come to the aid the injured mother and immediately called his father.
The mother was rushed to the hospital in Banting, but she succumbed to injuries shortly after arrival.
Balasandram was left to break the tragic news to his two younger children. Since then he had to endure their accusations - till exactly one week ago.
"I am relieved the police have finally contacted me about my wife's murder. I hope justice will finally be served."
He also said his two youngest children have taken a keen interest in media reports on the gruesome murders, which have rocked the nation.
Claiming to have not received any word of investigation progress on his wife's murder all this while, Balasandram said the police told him there wasn't enough tangible proof at that time to trace the assailants.
"I'm just glad the police are following up with her case more intensely now since the death of Datuk Sosilawati."
Coincidentally, the two lawyers accused of Datuk Sosilawati's murder are also distant relatives to Balasandram. They even stayed in the vicinity of Balasandram's home in Taman Cempaka.
"It is because I trusted them. Had I agreed to take on a business proposal one of them made to me four years ago, and maybe that's why my wife was killed when things went wrong," said Balasandram.
The lawyer then suggested Balasandram get into the money-lending business by giving out friendly loans. The lawyer then got the borrowers and also witnessed three loan agreements signed in 2006.
The first agreement was for RM34,850, second RM48,800 and the final one RM80,000. While the first loan was fully paid off, the other two still remain unsettled.
And when Balasandram sought to get back his money plus interest, the borrowers refused to comply and instead referred him back to the same lawyer.
Worse, the lawyer then told Balasandram he wouldn't be able to do anything to reclaim the money owed and even challenged Balasandram to lodge a police report on the matter.
“I was also threatened by the lawyer. He said if I took this matter further, my family would be in danger."
Cheesed off by this response, Balasandram filed a civil claim against the borrowers and also the lawyer.
In retaliation, the lawyer lodged a police report claiming Balasandram had issued threats. As a result, Balasandram was detained and spent eight days in police lock-up - only to be released without facing charges.
Then, in December 2008, Balasandram was attacked in his workshop. “I was attacked by two guys, who came with a parang in tennis bag. I was unconscious after the attack."
Balasandram's nose was chopped off and he was slashed on the head. He spent almost a month in the hospital and another three months at home before recovering enough to return to his workshop.
He claimed to have received a threatening phone call upon his return to work, demanding he withdraw the civil suit against the outstanding loans.
Balasandram refused to comply and then, several months later, his wife was murdered.
After his wife's death, he hasn't pursued the court case on the outstanding loans as he feared for the safety of his children.
“Not only was I played out by the lawyer in the venture, but my wife’s life probably became the ultimate sacrifice because of it too,” he said sadly.
