Caregiver and son arrested for allegedly strangling Chatsworth man

A CHATSWORTH caregiver and her son face murder charges after the suspicious death of a man who hired her to care for his bedridden wife.

The family are demanding justice following shocking discoveries about the circumstances of his death.

Kogie Adilutchmee Moodley, 54, and her son, Delon Moodley 25, will continue their bid for bail in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Friday).

The mother and son were arrested by Chatsworth police on August 6, for the alleged murder of Stephen Narayanasami Chetty, 56, who had died on April 25.

Their bail application began on Tuesday and a decision is expected tomorrow.

Chetty’s sister, Shirreen Govender, said her brother had employed Kogie two years ago as a caregiver for his wife Rumba after she had suffered a stroke.

She claimed Kogie had led them to believe that her brother had died of a heart attack.

Govender said she found her brother’s death suspicious and insisted that family members inspect his body at the mortuary.

She claimed they had found bruises on his neck, back, arms and buttocks, and his legs had fresh lacerations.

Govender is now demanding answers from the doctor, paramedics and funeral service, who she alleged “did not do a thorough job” in verifying how Chetty had died.

“I was sceptical after Kogie called me on that Friday around midday and said that my brother had died from natural causes at 5am. I questioned her as to why I was not notified immediately, and she said I should not worry  as she was handling everything.

“My brother’s body had already been removed from his home in Welbedacht and taken to the mortuary of a funeral service. I went to the mortuary with my son and nephew, and was told that Kogie had arranged for my brother to be cremated at 8am the next day.

“I questioned how the caregiver was allowed to arrange the funeral and asked why the next of kin, whose details had been provided, was not contacted. I was told that Kogie had provided her and my brother’s identity documents, letters from the paramedics and a local general practitioner (GP). She said that she was his next of kin,” alleged Govender.

“While I continued speaking to the attendant, I asked my son and nephew to go into the mortuary to identify my brother's body. I asked them to remove his clothes and take photographs of his body, as I suspected that something was amiss. When they told me that he had bruises on his neck, I knew that he had been murdered,” she said.

Govender said she notified the police, who began their investigations. 

“The police called the doctor who had provided Kogie with a letter which declared my brother deceased, due to natural causes. He told police that he had issued the letter without checking my brother’s body.

“Police told him to go to the mortuary and examine the body. He called the police back while we were still in his office and said there was evidence of marks and bruises on the body, and that he would like to retract the letter.

“A murder investigation was opened. Although we had to wait four months, we are glad we will get justice for my brother,” she added.

Govender said she was in the process of lodging complaints against the funeral service for their alleged negligence, and the doctor and the paramedics who had confirmed in writing that Chetty had died from natural causes.

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