Family of murdered man speak out against knife crime

The family of a man who was stabbed to death in a Bedford park have shared their story as police forces across the UK take a stand against knife crime.

Ashish Nahar died of a single stab wound to the heart after he was attacked while sitting on a bench in Jubilee Park, Bedford in June last year. He was 25.

A 16-year-old boy was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 14-and-a-half years.

Less than a year on, his family has spoken out about the devastating effects of knife crime in a new short film as part of the county’s Just Drop It campaign, which is led by the Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU).

Released today, 'Ashish's Story' shares the impact of his death from the perspective of his family and close friend Josh, who witnessed his murder.  

Ashish’s mum, Anita Nahar said: “It hasn’t been easy, reliving the worst days of mine and my family’s lives, but I have to believe that by doing so Ashish’s death was not in vain.

“It’s sad to think of the number of times this has and will be said by mothers grieving their sons, but knife crime has to end.

“Ashish was a blessing in every sense of the word. That blessing was taken from us in a cowardly attack on a young man who was just finding his way in life and reaping the rewards of a fresh start.

“To say we never saw ourselves being in this position would be a huge understatement, but as a family, we want to see change and if it takes sharing our experience and calling for young people to ‘Just Drop It’, then that’s what we will do.”

Just Drop It aims to highlight the traumatic impact knife crime has on loved ones and the wider community, by providing a platform for victims to share their experiences and deter young people from engaging in knife crime.

The campaign forms part of a number of activities taking place across Bedfordshire as part of Operation Sceptre, the national week of action against knife crime.

During the week of action, officers will be conducting targeted weapons sweeps and carrying out test purchases in shops to ensure knives and other potentially dangerous weapons are being sold legally. The force is also calling for people to surrender their weapons in one of the county’s 11 weapons bins.

Superintendent Alex House, leading on violence prevention, said: “The VERU’s Just Drop It campaign is an incredible initiative that we at Bedfordshire Police are proud to support.

“We must all do our part to tackle knife crime and take dangerous weapons off our streets. We look to weeks like these to put a concerted effort behind showcasing the year-round work being done to tackle violence and knife crime in our county.

“Just one family affected by knife crime is a family too many, as can be seen by the devastating impact Ashish’s death had on his family. We will not let up in our actions to reduce knife crime nor our enforcement against those that perpetuate it.”

For more information on the Just Drop It campaign and how you can share the message on social media, visit the Just Drop It page on the Veru website.