TAHAROA FIRE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 5

TAHAROA FIRE

MYSTERY RECALLED

MISSING INDIAN CASE

The small corrugated iron store at the remote Native settlement of Taharoa, in which the Indian Dalu Desai was employed before his mysterious disappearance earlier in the year, was burned to the ground early yesterday morning, states the "New Zealand Herald" of today. The general store, which contained a fair amount of stock, and the living quarters at the back were both demolished. The building was owned and occupied by Bhagvanji Desai, another Indian.

Detective-Sergeant.J. Thompson and Detective A. J. White, of Hamilton, arrived at the settlement yesterday. Detective White was in charge of the long, hazardous, and fruitless search for the missing man, which commenced on May 17 this year and which lasted until about three weeks ago. Dalu Desai, who was employed at the store at the time of his disappearance, was reported missing on May 7.

The search for the missing Hindu, on which no fewer than thirty police^ men were engaged at* one stage, included the dragging of Lake Taharoa twice and an extensive combing of the sandhills and scrub on the west coast with spades and gum spears. Although a neatly wrapped parcel of clothing, which was identified as being the property of the missing man, was unearthed in the sandhills towards the end of May, no other clues of any importance were ever discovered.

The disappearance of Dalu Desai threw the 100 Native inhabitants of Taharoa into a state of panic arid for weeks farming operations were at a standstill. The fire last night has renewed their state of fear.

A reward of £250 was offered by the Police Department at the conclusion of the search for information leading to the discovery of the body of Dalu Desai.