Arrests, acquittals and adjournments

• Published date: 29 December 2021
• Publication title: Post

Date: June 23-27

Headline: Cocktail killer accused freed

Megan Doorasamy, 31, a former truck driver who was accused of killing his wife by giving her a poisonous cocktail of anti-freeze and cranberry juice, was acquitted of all charges in the Durban High Court.

This followed a Section 174 application by his defence counsel.

Doorasamy’s defence counsel, advocate Gugu Gumede, argued that the State’s case was weak and that it lacked prima facie evidence.

Judge Rashid Vahed subsequently ruled in favour of the application and discharged Doorasamy of murder, defeating the course of justice and theft.

Doorasamy was an awaiting-trial prisoner at Westville Prison for two years. He was arrested in July 2019 after Devashnee Naidoo, a 30-year-old former teaching aid at Clarence Primary School, was found dead in their one-bedroomed Morningside flat.

Update: Doorasamy now lives with his mother in a flat in Durban and is moving on with his life.

Date: July 7-11

Headline: Son arrested for mother’s killing.

Ormilla Samdath, 62, was beaten and stabbed to death in her home in July this year. Her 38-year-old son, Shalendra Samdath, was charged with her killing.

Samdath, who is divorced with two children, allegedly stabbed her, then fled in her red Toyota Corolla with her bank cards.

After a case of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances was opened at Verulam SAPS, police tracked Samdath to Umbilo. He was arrested and appeared before magistrate Rajesh Parshotam in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court.

Update: He was denied bail and is in custody pending his next court appearance. Manoj Ramkussia, the victim’s brother, said it was difficult to move forward without her.

Date: July 28-August 1

Headline: We are strong and focused

Glen Naidoo, the owner of KZN VIP, a private security company, said he received several death threats from people who blamed him for inciting racial violence in Phoenix during the July unrest.

He said this was untrue and that his focus had been on protecting the community within the ambit of the law.

Naidoo said a narrative had been created to stoke racial division and shift the focus from the key issue. He was arrested by a police task team along with another KZN VIP employee. He said they were released within a few hours.

Update: KZN VIP’s firearms that were seized by police after the unrest have been returned after a ruling by Durban High Court. Naidoo has since resigned from the family business.

Date: August 4-8

Headline: We can reconcile communities

Jackie Shandu was arrested following his “one Indian, one bullet” taunt at the stairs of the Durban City Hall in July.

He faced a probe by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Shandu, 37, who is a former deputy chairperson of the EFF, is the face of the #JusticeForPhoenixMassacreVictims movement.

Following his utterances, he apologised. He was arrested and faced two counts of...