Baby Jamie case remanded to next month

Naidoo’s grandmother, Salatchee Venilla Basanich, 55, and mother, Patricia Kershnie Ishwarlal, 31, are both being held in Westville Prison after they were remanded into custody following a brief appearance at the court on Tuesday, Rising Sun Chatsworth reported.

State prosecutor Lolly Soobramoney said: “We had to remand the case, as we are still waiting for the results of the mental evaluation.” Both Basanich and Ishwarlal had previously been sent to the Fort Napier Hospital in Pietermaritzburg to undergo mental evaluation tests to determine if they were mentally fit to stand trial.

Meanwhile, local councillor Brandon Pillay said that he was not happy with court proceedings thus far. “I am extremely disappointed that after five months, there has still not been any clear indication of whether the accused will stand trial. While I respect the law in wanting to finalise the mental observation results first, I would have expected more to be done in terms of trying to finalise the matter or setting a trial date.” Pillay added Baby Jamie deserved justice.

The two-year-old was found dead in her Havenside home in Chatsworth, south of Durban. It is believed the child had cigarette burns all over her body, a fractured and nose, a swollen head, torn ears, a broken hand, a dislocated knee, a cut tongue as well as many bruises. During earlier proceedings, Soobramoney told the court pathologists found that Jamie had also been raped.

– Caxton News Service