Durban - A man accused of stabbing a Clare Estate woman to death in her home on Sunday night is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a charge of murder.
Premie Devi Ruggunan, 62, was stabbed five times in her back while she was in the kitchen of her Membry Road home.
According to sources, the man - who was known to the victim - had walked into the house and stabbed her using her kitchen knife.
Close relatives of the woman said the murder had left them puzzled.
Police were alerted by neighbours who heard noises coming from the house.
When police arrived at the double-storey house, they found the man standing over Ruggunan’s body, with a knife in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth.
Ruggunan’s eldest son, Ashaan, said he was too distraught to speak to the media and asked that the family be given some privacy during their time of mourning.
A close friend of the family said the suspect had been in a jovial mood last week after receiving his learner’s driving licence.
The suspect had intended joining the police services once he obtained his driving licence, the friend said.
Sources at the scene said the suspect had become argumentative with Ruggunan since Friday.
He had seen a doctor who then referred him to a psychiatrist at a local hospital, and was apparently thinking of going there yesterday.
The suspect was arrested after the stabbing and was being held at the Sydenham police station.
Ruggunan’s neighbours, who did not want to be named, said they had seen the suspect on the day of the incident.
They said he looked stressed and appeared to be aggressive, which they thought was strange because he was normally a placid and humble person.
Police spokesman, Colonel Vincent Mdunge, said the motive for the murder was unknown at this stage and police were still gathering statements.
Daily News