Cape Town - Three men accused of killing 29-year-old Pinelands man, Previn Pillay, and setting his remains alight have appeared in the Western Cape High Court, where the case was postponed to November.
Pillay was reported missing after leaving his Pinelands home in his Toyota Hilux vehicle at around 9pm on December 23, 2020. His mutilated remains were found almost a week later at Hazendal train station in Athlone on December 27, 2020.
When the gruesome discovery was made, Pillay’s body parts had been stuffed into a suitcase, set alight and dumped at the station.
Following the discovery, police launched a manhunt for Riefaat Loofer, as a person of interest. Loofer was reportedly identified as the last person seen in the company of Pillay.
Loofer appeared in the Western Cape High Court alongside co-accused Glenville Jansen and Franklin van Niekerk.
The three are charged with four counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, conspiracy to commit robbery and defeating the administration of justice.
It is alleged that the three killed Pillay by either assaulting or stabbing him and caused his death as a result of the robbery. The State will try to prove the murder was premeditated.
The State said the accused “assaulted Previn Pillay and took from him, by force, a Toyota Hilux ... the aggravating circumstances being present in that they used lethal force in the commission of they offence”.
“They also, disposed of the body parts of the deceased, Previn Pillay by setting it alight, which defeated or obstructed the administration of justice,” the State argued.
The matter was postponed to November in order to set a date for the trial to commence.