by Gareth Davies

gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk

The nephew of a man who died after he was mugged for £40 in Thornton Heath say his killers have robbed his family of the “cornerstone” of their lives.

A murder inquiry has been launched following the death of 55-year-old Mahesh Mehta on November 13.

Mr Mehta, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler from Norbury, was robbed and assaulted in broad daylight near the junction of Warwick Road and London Road on October 19.

The father-of-two was taken to Mayday Hospital with severe facial injuries, including a broken nose and fractured eye socket, but initially recovered from his injuries and was deemed well enough to return home.

On October 30, he returned to hospital for what he believed would be a routine operation on his injured nose, but suffered complications before passing away two weeks later.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Sagar Mehta said his uncle was the “cornerstone” of his family and the community.

“They [his killers] have not just robbed one person,” he explained. “It is like someone inside of all of us has died.

“He was like a father figure to me. He wasn’t just one man: he was a father, a husband and a best friend to so many.”

Sagar, 23, explained how Mr Mehta lived with, and cared for, his elderly mother in her home in Hepworth Road, Norbury.

The fruit and vegetable wholesaler was a committed Jain, a religion which abhors physical violence, and an active charity worker who took a keen interest in helping the elderly.

Sagar said: “He did lots of community work. Whenever there was a fundraiser he would always be the first one there.

“Mahesh was always going out of his way to help people, even if you didn’t ask for help.

“He did a lot of charity work to help people in India , and would help his mum’s friends by dropping them home and doing their shopping for them.

“They do not have anyone to help them. He acted like their son.”

Mr Mehta was attacked by two masked men after he visited the HSBC bank, on the corner of London Road and Warwick Road, to make a mortgage payment, on October 19.

At 1.20pm they attacked him from behind and made off with just £40.

His two children, daughter Sital, 26, and son, Mitesh, 24, live in North London, and are said to be devastated by the their father’s death.

A prayer service held at the Oshwal Centre, in Campbell Rod, West Croydon, before his funeral in November.

Over 400 people attended to pay their respects to a much loved member of the community.

Mr Mehta had been planning to travel to his nephew’s wedding, in India, in December, and had bought a new suit for the occasion.

“It’s all he would talk about,” explained Sagar. “He told all his friends he was going. He was really excited about it because he hadn’t been to India in over 30 years.

“He never got to wear that suit, so that’s what we dressed in him for his funeral.”

The Mehta family are now hoping his killers will be caught swiftly.

“We just want to support the police in their effort to catch the people who did this,” explained Sagar.

“Not just for the sake of justice but also so it does not happen to another family.

“He would not want anyone else to go through what we have been through.

“We believe in Karma – what goes around, comes around.

“They can hand themselves in if they want, but nothing can bring him back.”

Anyone with information about the death of Mr Mehta is asked to contact the police on 020 8721 4155 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

For more reaction from Mr Mehta’s family read next week’s Advertiser, out on Friday (January 9)