Durban - Pietermaritzburg businessman Rajive Soni was assaulted by doctor Bhavish Sewram, the man he is accused of killing, a year before Sewram’s murder.
This revelation was made by Soni’s advocate, Naren Sangham, at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday during the cross-examination of the State’s first witness, former Mountain Rise policeman, Sugen Naidoo.
In his evidence-in-chief before Judge Jacqueline Henriques and assessor Gerhard Barnard, Naidoo detailed several incidents in which Soni is alleged to have laid false charges against Sewram in an attempt to drive the doctor out of the province, after discovering that Sewram had an affair with his wife, Kerusha.
These false charges, according to Naidoo, included two of sexual assault and one of common assault in which Soni reported to police that Sewram had attacked him.
Cross-examining Naidoo, Sangham indicated Soni would testify the assault was not a fabrication, and occurred on February 8, 2012.
Sangham relayed Soni’s version of events to Naidoo, who later conceded the possibility existed that the assault could have taken place.
Sangham said Soni was driving along Allandale Drive with a friend, Roshan Jayinath.
They had come to a stop and noticed a white vehicle stop alongside them.
Jayinath’s statement identified the driver of the white vehicle as Sewram.
Jayinath alleged Sewram got out of his vehicle and approached Soni.
Through the open window of Soni’s car, Sewram allegedly “without warning or provocation”, slapped Soni across his face and said he was going to kill him.
Soni drove him home, where he placed ice on Soni’s cheek to bring down the swelling.
“The accused (Soni) will dispute that this assault was a fabrication, and has instructed me that this really happened,” Sangham said.
Naidoo then conceded that it was possible the assault could have taken place.
Soni is accused of orchestrating Sewram’s murder.
The doctor was shot outside his surgery in Chota Motala Road on May 13, 2013.
Daily News