Durban - Durban businessman and socialite Rajiv Narandas is one step away from jail.
This comes after the application by Narandas to appeal against his 18-year sentence for murder was dismissed by judges Zukisa Tshiqi and Mathopo of the Supreme Court of Appeal last week.
Narandas has now decided to petition the Constitutional Court to hear his matter. However, there is no guarantee it will do so.
He was due to appear in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court (Gauteng) on Friday in an attempt to have his bail conditions extended pending the outcome of the ConCourt petition.
However, he was arrested and detained in Durban on an unrelated matter and is now only expected to appear in the Joburg court on Wednesday. The judge will then decide whether his bail will be extended pending the petition or whether he will start his sentence with immediate effect.
The National Prosecuting Authority said it would oppose bail.
Durban advocate Jay Naidoo said that under normal circumstances, when an appeal was lost, the accused had 72 hours to report to prison unless there were compelling circumstances.
Narandas was found guilty of the murder of Veenand Singh, 32. The incident took place in the parking lot of the Shoukara night club in Sandton on July 13, 2008.
He was convicted in 2014 and sentenced last year.
Narandas’s mother, Rosanne, confirmed the application had been dismissed and said the family would be approaching the ConCourt.
“We have prepared his application and we hope that his application will be successful.”
She added: “The unrelated case that he was arrested for on Friday is absolute nonsense, it is a trumped up charge and we will not let it jeopardise his bail application in any way.”
His father Krish could not be reached for comment.
Bashantha Sanassy, the girlfriend of the man Narandas killed, said she had waited eight years to see him behind bars.
Sanassy claimed she had been present when Narandas stabbed Singh in the heart with a Swiss army knife outside the nightclub. Veenand’s friends and Sanassy testified in court about the events on the day of Singh’s death.
They said Narandas ran to his car while Veenand was apparently trying to placate one of Narandas’s friends who had been provoking him. They testified that Narandas came back with a knife and stabbed Singh.
“We have waited eight long years for this. It’s been tough, it’s been heartbreaking and it has been an emotional roller caster for the friends and family of Veenand.
“We lost faith in God.
“Rajiv has shown no remorse in any of his court appearances. He has taken a son, a brother and a life partner away from us. It was such a callous murder and I feel my faith in the judicial system has now been restored.
“I don’t know if I could ever forgive Rajiv. What he did was so senseless and it was heart wrenching to see the pain so many people had to endure because of what he did.
“I hope that one day, with the grace of God, I will be able to move past this and be whole again. I hope that with justice now being served it will serve as a beacon of hope to others facing similar tragedies,” she said.
Rajiv Narandas is to appear in court in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Sunday Tribune