Chatsworth murder: magistrate questions why husband was not charged
Bail hearing
Stephen Narayanasami Chetty
Image: Supplied
A CHATSWORTH caregiver has been denied bail while her son was released on bail in connection with the murder of her employer.
During the bail hearing today, the magistrate questioned why the woman's husband wasn't also charged, as he was present in the house when Stephen Narayanasami Chetty, 65, was allegedly murdered.
Kogie Adilutchmee Moodley, 54, and her son, Delon Moodley, 25, have been charged with Chetty’s murder, on April 25.
It was alleged they were driven by greed when they plotted to kill Chetty.
He was initially declared as dead due to natural causes, but was found to be strangled.
In the Chatsworth Magistrate court, Moodley was denied bail while her son was released.
In passing judgment, Magistrate L Ndlovu said Moodley’s husband should also be seated next to his wife and son, as one of the accused, as he was also in the house at the time of Chetty’s murder.
“From the evidence, it is clear that the accused (Kogie and Delon) were living with the deceased at the time of his death. Accused one (Kogie), her husband, accused two (Delon), the deceased, and his wife, who is bedridden, were in the house on that day.
"The State alleges that Delon left the house at 10.30am when the deceased was alive and he only found out the deceased had died the following day,” Ndlovu said.
“The court would have expected that the husband would also be sitting here as part of the accused," Ndlovu had said.
She said it was also clear from the evidence that the State was relying on circumstantial evidence with respect to Delon.
“There was no evidence of house breaking or intrusion and the only people in the house were the accused one (Kogie), her husband, the deceased (Chetty) and his wife. The cause of death was found to be strangulation.
“Whoever is responsible for the death of the deceased, investigators must find out and bring them before court. The doctor must also be investigated,” added Ndlovu.
Moodley was hired by Chetty as a caregiver to his wife Rumba two years ago after she had a stroke.