Sugendran Rodney Naicker, accused of bludgeoning his Havenside girlfriend, Vyaksha Sookdeo (35) to death with a four-pound hammer, recently appeared at the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court, where his case was remanded to Wednesday, 17 April, for further investigation.
The victim’s decomposed body was found at 1am on Christmas Day, at her home in Havenside.
The accused’s attorney, Shireen Soobrathrie, who claimed that her client was innocent, coached him to cover his face while entering the court in order to prevent the media from getting a clear picture of him.
Representing the victim, Attorney Tymara Ketusha Samuel, who is also the head of legal for SA Outreach and Emergency Services, said that the matter was in court on 16 February.
She said: “Sitting as watching brief on the matter has afforded me the opportunity to assist the family through the legal process in obtaining justice for Vyaksha Sookdew. The matter has been remanded to 17 April for the state to obtain the results of the DNA test and for further bank statements. The family would like to thank the public for respecting their privacy during this difficult time and for their endless support.”
In previous cases, there was an influx of picketing political parties, however, in the most recent case, there were no signs of support from the electioneers.
According to a resident, who did not want to be named, political parties were just using this case to gain momentum for themselves and their parties.
He said: “If they were really interested in the case and supported the family, they would have continued to support the family and attend cases. Because the case has lost momentum with prominent media houses, political parties are nowhere to be seen. Residents should be weary of this and not allow these selfish and heartless politicians to piggyback on a traumatic murder case.”
