Relatives hit boy, 9, with a chisel, court hears

File picture

File picture

Published Sep 9, 2016

Share

Durban - On the morning of February 5, 2015, Phoenix mother Ishara Dewnarain packed her son's school lunch, but the 9-year-old boy would not make it to school that day.

Instead, the State alleges, Dewnarain's aunt Rajwanthie Haripersadh and cousin Kavitha Naiker killed Shahiel Sewpujun by hitting him on the head with a chisel and then placing a piece of tape over his mouth and nose, suffocating him.

The State alleges that the murder was premeditated and the women had decided to kill Shahiel because of his behaviour towards them.

On Thursday both women pleaded not guilty to murder at the start of their trial in the Durban High Court.

It is alleged that the women put Shahiel's body in a suitcase which they dumped in bush. But later on the night of February 5, they removed the body from the suitcase and put it in a stormwater drain not far from their Flatclay Drive, Phoenix, home.

The women, Dewnarain, her husband, Asif Bux, and Shahiel all lived at the residence.

It was also alleged that the women tried to commit suicide by drinking brake fluid a day before Shahiel's body was found.

Dewnarain testified that on February 5, she came home from work after 7pm and was told that Shahiel had not come home from school. Shahiel used to walk and usually arrived home at 2.15pm.

She said after searching for him, she opened a missing person's case at the Phoenix police station.

"The police said they could help to look for him the next day. So we asked a local tuck shop owner and one of Shahiel's teachers, who said Shahiel did not go to school that day."

Dewnarain said that night she asked Naiker and Haripersadh to join them to search for Shahiel, but Naiker told her they were going to a Christian prayer service.

"I asked her where is baby. They told me they are not involved in anything, they are going to a service."

She said she, her family, Shahiel's teachers and residents searched for her son from February 5 until his body was found in the drain on February 8.

She also testified that a week before the murder, Naiker told her about a child who had gone missing from another area in Phoenix and asked her what she would do if Shahiel went missing.

During cross-examination, Dewnarain dismissed suggestions that both women had tried to look for Shahiel after she had told them she was missing. She also said she was aware that Naiker had financial troubles, but she did not know why Naicker and Haripersadh drank brake fluid.

Dewnarain added that she did not have problems with either of the women and that they had often looked after Shahiel when she was working.

Both women are in custody after they abandoned their applications for bail last year.

The trial continues.

The Mercury

Related Topics: