Kamini Padayachee
Less than a year after he was released on parole, a Chatsworth man, who was jailed for murder and robbery, participated in the brutal sword slayings of two men.
Yesterday, Adrian Veeran, 31, of Chatsworth pleaded guilty to the August 8 murders of Kevindran Naidoo and Sebastian Chetty before Durban High Court Judge Mohini Murugasen.
The court was packed with relatives and friends of Chetty and Naidoo. The victims were both stabbed several times with Veeran’s samurai sword. Chetty was also strangled with a tie.
Veeran’s co-accused Jayinderan “Bob” Sewnath is expected to go on trial for the murders and armed robbery later this year.
In his plea read out in court by attorney TP Pillay, Veeran said he had sold Naidoo a television set for R6 000 but he was only paid R4 600.
“I called Kevin (Naidoo) a few times and requested the money that he owed me and he promised to pay. This went on for about a week.”
Veeran said on August 6, he asked Naidoo to return the television set. “Kevin assured me he will pay the monies he owed and requested I get two more TV sets for his relatives.”
He added that he and Sewnath plotted to rob Naidoo of his cash and jewellery “as we were not working and needed the money”.
On August 8, he told Naidoo to meet him at his house in Shallcross, near Chatsworth, to fetch the other two television sets. He described how he led Naidoo and then Chetty to his house where they were stabbed.
“Bob (Sewnath) said I should bring them one by one into the house. I took Kevin (Naidoo) to the house first. I held him from the back and Bob stabbed him with the sword. I walked back to the road and called Sebastian and told him Kevin needed help to carry the television sets.
“As Sebastian entered my house, I grabbed him and Bob stabbed him with the sword. He screamed and I strangled him with a tie.”
Veeran said he and Sewnath took Naidoo’s gold ring, chain and cellphone and Chetty’s cellphone and dumped the bodies in nearby bush.
State advocate Rea Mina said in aggravation of sentence that the cold-blooded murders had been committed because Veeran wanted to rob Naidoo.
Veeran had previous convictions for robbery and murder and had been paroled from prison in October last year.
Pillay said in mitigation of sentence that Veeran had co-operated fully with police and made a confession.
“He has taken responsibility for his actions, which is indicative of his remorse.”
Judge Murugasen will sentence Veeran today.