Jeweller’s son’s trial delayed again

The trial of Durban socialite and businessman-turned-bodybuilder Rajiv Narandas, has been postponed yet again, this time to July 5, because magistrate Reiner Boshoff’s request for written transcriptions of all the evidence have not been delivered.

Despite the fact that nearly three months have passed since the last postponement on February 14, the only transcripts handed over were of evidence by the last two State witnesses.

The rest of the evidence – apparently on a back-up disk – is missing, and the postponement is intended to give the prosecution team led by State advocate Adele Barnard, time to find it.

Failing this, the recordings and notes made by Narandas’s advocate, Mannie Witz, will be used to reconstruct the transcripts.

At the last appearance Witz applied for the State’s case to be discharged in terms of section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which states that if, at the close of the prosecution’s case, there is no evidence the accused committed the offence, he could be acquitted. Prosecutor Barnard has opposed the application.

To decide on the merit of this application, Boshoff needs to look at all the evidence to date. If it does have merit and Boshoff discharges the State’s case, Narandas will be acquitted of his charge of murdering Veenand Singh, 32, who died from a stab wound to the heart during a fracas at about 4.30am in the car park of the Shoukara nightclub in Sandton on July 13, 2008.

Witz contends that the evidence of the last State witness (Paroshen Soorian, who was in Singh’s group that night), was full of contradictions and actually defeated the State’s case. He argues further that the medical evidence does not support the State’s charge.

Singh died of a straight, deep wound consistent with a cane with a blade on the end of it, which is what Narandas’s friend Jenaide Charles, was carrying.

Narandas is on R5 000 bail. The case has been riddled with postponements over the past three years. - Daily News