Durban - A youngster who is to stand trial for the murder of Overport student Kurtlee Pillay was in the Durban Magistrate’s Court accused dock yet again on Thursday.
This time around 22-year-old Dinesh Nana has been charged with robbing a University of KwaZulu-Natal student at knifepoint. He is also expected to stand trial next week on an attempted murder charge.
Nana appeared alongside student Maahir Alwar, 19, on the robbery with aggravating circumstances charge. The matter was before magistrate Vanitha Armu for a bail application. However, Nana decided to abandon his application.
Nana’s Legal Aid attorney, Virushka Mistry, told the court that Nana had two pending cases – the Kurtlee Pillay murder trial set down to start in February and an attempted murder trial.
The attempted murder took place in 2011.
He had previous convictions for possession of dagga, theft of a cellphone and handbag and violating a protection order and had paid fines as admission of guilt.
Nana was arrested last week with Alwar. It is alleged the pair had approached a student in Rick Turner (Francois) Road near the Howard College campus shortly after he had written exams.
Prosecutor Sharon Moodley said the student was robbed at knifepoint of his cellphone and adidas backpack that contained valuables, including his wallet and iPad, worth about R7 000.
“A witness saw the pair fleeing after robbing the student and a security officer gave chase. The stolen items (that had been) thrown into the bush were recovered, but the knife was not,” Moodley said.
Alwar’s attorney, Meena Singh, told the court her client lived with his grandparents because his parents were divorced. His mother had remarried and moved to Johannesburg and he had irregular contact with his father. She said Alwar had no previous convictions or pending cases and his mother could afford to pay R2 500 towards his bail.
Magistrate Armu said the pair faced “an extremely serious charge”. “Considering the facts of the case, (Alwar) is granted R3 000 bail,” she said.
The matter was adjourned until next month.
Daily News
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