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Indian girl murdered in London
Jeshma Raithatha, a student of music, was found murdered yards away from her home in North West London.
An Indian student of music who aimed for a career in performing arts was found murdered yards away from her home in North West London.
An A-level student, Jeshma Raithatha, described as "a delightful, sensitive, caring and creative young woman" has been found murdered 500 yards from her home. She had disappeared three days before her 18th birthday, on May 16.
Her body was discovered yesterday in undergrowth close to a sports centre in Sudbury Hill, northwest London. She is believed to have been attacked while taking a short-cut home along an overgrown path. Police sources said Miss Raithatha appeared to have suffered stab wounds but a post-mortem examination had not been completed.
A talented young musician and singer, she was last seen leaving Claremont High School, Kenton, around 1.30pm on May 16. Her family reported her missing the same evening after she failed to respond to phone calls and text messages from her mother. Last night Suresh and Manjula Raithatha said they were "distressed and devastated".
In a statement, they said: "Our beautiful and loving daughter has been taken away from us by an evil person. If anyone has seen anything or knows anything that will catch her killer, please contact the police."
Raithatha, an electrical inspector, and his wife have two other children, a son, 15, and a daughter, 12.
The headmaster of the school Terry Molloy, said: "As one of a very small group of students studying A-level music, Jeshma quickly established herself as a talented and committed member of the sixth form. Jeshma had often expressed her desire to follow a career in the performing arts and at one time she even spoke of being a music therapist so that she could use her musical talents to help others.
"Jeshma would have been starting her final A-level examinations this week. I know that she was looking forward to taking up a place at a London university to study a degree in the arts. As a delightful, sensitive, caring and creative young woman and an important member of our community. Jeshma will be sadly missed by all of her friends and teachers."
Miss Raithatha was extremely keen to pursue a career in performing arts. She had posted personal details; a photograph and an audio audition on websites, including Voice123.com, a talent showcase. A police source said that officers were aware of her use of the Internet but they stressed that they had not yet established any firm lines of inquiry.
Scotland Yard announced that it had begun a murder investigation before Miss Raithatha had been formally identified as the victim. The police from her silver bracelets and nose stud confirmed her identity. Police, some using scythes to cut overgrown shrubbery, were conducting detailed searches of the area where her body was found.
Miss Raithatha's mother said: "At 4pm or 5pm it started raining. I called her mobile phone and left a message. It was getting a bit late, I text her. She always replied to a text message. About 6pm I started to get worried. I called the police at 10pm. I got the impression that it was not that unusual for a 17-year-old to be gone for a few hours.
"I was calling all her friends. They were all linked to each other. Her friends came around at night. We knew something had happened." Mrs Raithatha said her daughter had no problems at home and was an ambitious teenager with a promising future.
She added: "Jeshma was in a happy state and was looking forward to her life. She had planned a holiday with her friends to the Canary Islands.
"Her birthday was on a weekday and she was not sure if her friends would come, with the exams. I think they were planning to go out for a meal. We did a puja (a Hindu invocation) at home on her birthday to give her strength."
