Alleged wife killer dies before trial

Alleged wife killer Gonasagren "Seelan" Naidu died on Sunday in Westville Prison, where he was an awaiting-trial prisoner. Picture: Independent Media

Alleged wife killer Gonasagren "Seelan" Naidu died on Sunday in Westville Prison, where he was an awaiting-trial prisoner. Picture: Independent Media

Published Jan 27, 2016

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Durban - Alleged killer Gonasagren “Seelan” Naidu has died while awaiting trial, taking the secrets of what had transpired before his wife Nalin’s gruesome murder to his grave.

The former policeman, who lived in Umhlatuzana before moving to uMhlanga, died on Sunday in Westville Prison, where he was an awaiting-trial prisoner.

While police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said Seelan had hanged himself in his cell, his family told POST that was a blatant lie as they were told he had died from a massive heart attack, after battling cardio-vascular disease for a long time.

The family also shot down rumours that he had taken an overdose of chronic medication.

“That makes my brother a coward, which he was not,” Seelan’s sister, Rajendri Govender, told POST in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. “My brother did not hang himself; he would not have committed suicide.”

POST has established that a post mortem was expected to be done on Wednesday, shortly before his funeral, to determine the cause of death.

Govender said her family were told he had difficulty breathing on Sunday afternoon and five of his fellow cell mates had carried him to the prison hospital where he was given oxygen.

She said she, her brother, sister-in-law and Seelan’s eldest son rushed to the prison and were accompanied by a senior official to the hospital wing.

Both the district surgeon and the prison’s health care services head had confirmed that her brother had had a “massive cardio-vascular attack”, Govender said, adding that he had had a history of cardiac ailments.

His death was a blow to the family, especially their 70-year-old mother and the Naidus’ children, who were now orphans, she said.

Govender rubbished the allegation that Seelan had killed his wife, saying it had “tarnished his name”.

Read: Third guilty plea in murder-for-hire case

The couple were well known and had jointly owned a string of pharmacies.

“My brother has been innocent from day one. He was innocent until proven guilty,” she said. “He gave his wife the world; he would never have taken her life away.”

She described Seelan as being “one in a million”.

“We want to lay him to rest; we need closure as well.”

 The State had alleged in the indictment that Seelan had orchestrated the October 29, 2014 murder.

Nalin had gone

missing that day after her husband told police he had dropped her off at Malvern Mall.

Her body was found in a field in Shongweni, outside Pinetown, a day later.

Her throat had been slit and she also had facial injuries.

Seelan was due to appear in the Durban High Court on Monday with his two co-accused – former policeman turned businessman Sifiso Nkosi and his fiancée, Phumla Ethel Matseke – for the trial date to be confirmed.

Two former accused – Zwelakhe Maphumulo and Gcina Magwaza – pleaded guilty to killing Nalin and received sentences of 30 years and 22 years respectively.

In their guilty pleas in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last year they implicated Seelan as the alleged mastermind.

Another accused, Mara Kholekile Sithole, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. She got a 10-year sentence which was wholly suspended for five years.

Nalin’s brother, Eric Jugdeo, said he was shocked that Seelan was dead.

“With Seelan’s demise we will never get closure,” he said.

“I will say that on the whole he was a nice person. Before he was arrested he and I got on well. It was as recently as Sunday, while my family and I were on our way to a kavady in Phoenix, that I told my wife it was difficult to fathom what led to his alleged role in my sister’s murder,” said Jugdeo.

He said by Seelan electing to remain silent when he made several appearances in the Durban Magistrate’s Court, there was no light shed on the tragedy.

Read: Alleged wife killer impassive in court

“While Seelan and I severed our relationship when he was arrested, his family and I did not get on. Seelan’s alleged role in the murder forms part of the court record. Two former accused had implicated him in Nalin’s killing.

“They claimed he had orchestrated the hit. Those serious allegations will not be tested at the trial because of Seelan’s sudden death.”

Jugdeo said his family were looking forward to getting closure, but that would not happen.

“I had asked police to conduct a thorough probe into my sister’s killing and it took several months before the first breakthrough in the case came. While Seelan’s family were not pleased with me for ensuring that the case was investigated properly, I did whatever I was supposed to do. Nalin is my sister. I did it for her and for my family to get closure.”

Seelan’s lawyer, Vijay Sivakumoor, said he too was shocked by the death. He said he had consulted with Seelan in prison last week and Seelan had informed him that he wanted to clear his name in court.

The Department of Correctional Services had not responded to calls seeking comment by time of publication.

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