Man ‘kidnapped, beaten and set alight’

A MAN who was accused of stealing, was allegedly beaten with a cricket bat and a spade before being set alight in a “kangaroo court”.

It has been alleged that Kumarasen Trevino Naidoo was kidnapped and taken to an isolated area in Silverglen, on November 5, where he was brutally beaten with a cricket bat and a spade.

He was allegedly forced to drink petrol and when that failed to kill him, he was necklaced.

A resident went to his rescue and tried to douse the flames with a towel before calling for an ambulance.

Naidoo, 29, of Montford in Chatsworth, sustained burns to his face, chest and hands. Despite his injuries he was making steady progress in hospital but on November 23 his condition took a turn for the worse, and he died as a result of septicaemia.

His aunt, Dora Govender, said Naidoo was attacked on her birthday which coincided with Guy Fawkes day.

“When I saw him in hospital it looked like his attackers used him as a human Guy Fawkes.”

Govender claimed Naidoo was addicted to sugars (a drug) and sometimes stole to support his habit.

“He had previously stolen a sound system from a taxi and a case of theft was opened against him. A few months ago he was arrested and the Chatsworth Magistrate's Court sentenced him to six months in jail at the Westville Prison for robbery.

“He was recently released after serving four months of his sentence."

She said Naidoo had told her that on the day of the attack he walked past the same taxi and looked inside. He was forced into the taxi.

“They stopped in an isolated area in Silverglen and got out.

“Kumarasen was forced to drink petrol and when nothing happened to him the taxi owner told the men to place a tyre around his neck, pour petrol on him and set him alight. The owner also told the men to phone him when the job was done.”

She claimed one of the men got scared and ran off but the other man carried out the owner’s instructions.

“When they set Kumarasen alight, he began screaming. He sustained burns to his face, chest and arms.

“Although he was injured, he could still speak and remember his address so he gave it to the police. The police arrived at his mother’s home and notified our family.

“We were all in shock. I went to the hospital and I could not believe he had been so brutally attacked.”

She said the family had hoped he would recover.

“We are not coping with losing him. We knew he had a problem with drugs and tried to get him help.

“Stealing is wrong and if his attackers suspected he was stealing, they could have just apprehended him and called the police. They wanted him to suffer. They had so much hate against him. It is hard to believe these types of people exist in society."

One suspect was arrested on the day of the attack and charged with attempted murder.

He appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on November 7, and was released on R2 500 bail.

Police said the charge would now change to murder.