Home invasion: Hare Krishna devotee killed moments after returning home from doing seva at temple

MOMENTS after a devotee returned home from doing his seva (selfless service) at the Hare Krishna Temple, in Chatsworth, he was gunned down by a lone robber in the driveway of his Crossmoor house.

Since his retirement as an electrician, Jeeva Pillay, 63, spent his days volunteering at the temple.

At around 3pm on Monday, he had returned to his Bottlebrush Crescent home, after helping prepare meals at the temple, when he was killed.

His brother-in-law, Kay Mohamed, said Pillay was accosted as he attempted to close the driveway gate.

“Jeeva saw the gunman and tried to close the gate. But the suspect opened fire on him. Jeeva ran into the yard after he was shot, and the suspect followed him. 

“He shot him again. By this time, my wife Saroj had heard the gunshots and ran outside. The man then shot at her as she tried to get to Jeeva. Sadly, the bullet hit our dog Kai, who had jumped in front of her to protect her.

“My wife and Kai were very close. Kai was three years old and he was her baby. He followed her everywhere and was afraid of fireworks and loud sounds. But the gunshots did not stop him. He ran outside to protect my wife. Kai took a bullet for her,” added Mohamed.

He said the gunman then fled without taking anything from Pillay.

Pillay sustained six gunshot wounds to his chest, lower body and legs.

His brother, who was home at the time of the shooting, rushed him to hospital, where he died a few hours later.

Mohamed said Pillay humble and kind and since his retirement had volunteered his time at the Hare Krishna temple.

“He spent his days at the temple and helped prepare meals. He enjoyed helping at the temple. Jeeva will be dearly missed. Our family is traumatised by his death and we are hoping that the perpetrator is caught before any more lives are lost in our community,” he added.

Pillay’s neighbour and close friend of more than 50 years, Simi Durgapersadh, said she was at home when she heard the gunshots. 

“I heard a single gunshot and this was followed by three more. Then the house alarm went off. I went to investigate and saw a man with a backpack running towards a nearby pathway.

“I checked our community safety WhatsApp group chat and someone said Jeeva had been shot. A few of us residents rushed to his house. His brother-in-law had him in the vehicle and was rushing him to hospital. There was a pool of blood in front of the driveway gate and bullet shells were on the ground,” said Durgapersadh.

“We are in shock at this incident and are living in fear. Jeeva was one of the few residents on this road from back in the day. We grew up together and knew each other's families. It is a huge loss to everyone who knew Jeeva. Whenever I saw him, he used to put his two hands together in prayer to greet me.

“He was a gentle person and did not deserve such a violent death. We will miss seeing him daily, his chats, his advice, and his very presence in Bottlebrush Crescent,” said Durgapersadh.

She said this was the second incident in Crossmoor in a week, where someone had lost their life.

Last week, Jayseelan Jayce Naicker, 45, a father of three of Montford, was shot twice and died 15 minutes later at the gate of the home he was delivering food to in Crossmoor. Naicker had jumped off his vehicle at the home where the food was to be delivered, and called out for the home owners.

During this time, two men on foot approached him. One of them was armed with a gun and shot at Naicker. They fled with his cellphone only.

Durgapersadh said crime was out of control and the community was under siege by armed criminals.

She too said that Pillay was a staunch Hare Krishna devotee.

“His last picture was taken at the Hare Krishna Temple an hour before he was killed. He selflessly devoted himself to selfless service. He volunteered his services whenever there was a function at the temple. On Monday, he went for the midday aarti, had his lunch there and came home to a violent death. It is just too tragic,” she added. 

Vibhu Caitanya Das, the former Hare Krishna Temple president, said he had worked closely with Pillay. 

“Jeeva often got into debates about God. He had strong opinions and many doubts. But something changed. Slowly he opened his heart and began reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and visiting the temple.

“I remember seeing him at the morning program, which begins at 4.30am. He didn’t know what to do so he just followed the other devotees. He would copy them doing achaman, walking around Tulsi Devi, chanting, bowing down. He observed and imitated, but it was sincere. There was something very pure about it.

“He began helping at the temple with small electrical work around the temple. During one altar maintenance, he even served on the altar itself, helping with the wiring and light fittings. It wasn’t just technical work for him, it was service. He understood that this was Krishna’s home. Over time he became part of the family. He got used to the ways of the devotees. And what stood out most was his mood. He was always grateful and always happy to be around Krishna’s devotees. He was always willing to help.

“Every time I met him he would thank Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. He’d speak with joy about how he found a purpose, a path. There was no show. No big talk. Just a steady, humble heart. This Jeeva, this soul found his shelter. He found his home at the Lotus Feet of Krishna,” said Das. 

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