The case of Regan Naidoo, 32, who died in police custody, was reopened before the Durban Magistrates Court on Friday.
Twenty-two officers, the most of whom are assigned to the Chatsworth police station, returned to the dock to face allegations of abduction, torture, murder, and obstructing justice.
The case was postponed because the state requested a copy of Professor Steven Naidoo’s postmortem report.
Surekha Marimuthu, the state prosecutor, said she wanted to know whether Professor Naidoo could testify for the defence.
On August 28, 2018, Regan Naidoo and two others were arrested at a gas station in Montford, Chatsworth, on suspicion of possessing a pistol used in the execution of an accused hitman.
Despite hours of questioning and Naidoo’s father’s guarantee of complete cooperation,
The gun was never located by Timothy, who proceeded to the police station.
Naidoo’s elderly father stated in court on Friday that he would never stop fighting for his son’s justice.
He insists that his son did not die from choking on a pie or from respiratory issues, as authorities said.
On Friday, Naidoo’s family appeared in court for the umpteenth time. Since 2018, the lawsuit has been postponed many times.
Naidoo’s father told GroundUp in court that his son was the primary provider at home. Regan Naidoo works as a security alarm technician for himself.
“He paid our rent, he clothed us, he put food on our table. At 60 years old, I have to go out and find work to keep us surviving. Regan looked after us and his wife and children,” said the bereaved father.
“We didn’t have [life] insurance on him. We had to have a cash funeral. Every month end, I get worried about paying the rent. This month, I might earn R5,000. Next month maybe nothing.”
Marimuthu also informed Magistrate Visagie that defendants Captain Kevin James and Rajan Sanders had filed complaints with the DPP last year.
The state had reacted, and the DPP was yet to reply. The complaint’s specifics have not been made public.
The case will be reopened on March 28.
»The murder case of 32-year-old Regan Naidoo’s once again postponed«