Alleged shooter in court

A FOURTH suspect – alleged to be the shooter – has been arrested for the attempted murder of Blaine Pillay and his 10-year-old son in a drive-by shooting in February.

Vishal Jugdaw, 39, of Clayfield, Phoenix, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.

He was arrested shortly after the shooting, in connection with another offence, and is awaiting trial at Westville Prison.

He joins three other accused, Yasseen Essop, 35; Klinsmann Ryne Naidoo, 27; and Manuel Naidoo, 45; who were arrested by the Hawks last week.

They appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday and the matter was adjourned to later this week.

In February, Pillay, 33, was seated with his son in a BMW M4 on the R102 near the Southgate and Broadlands intersection when a suspect got out of a white Toyota Etios, and fired five shots through the open window at close range.

The father-of-two, who was shot in the head and chest, had to be airlifted to hospital. His son was unharmed.

According to a police source, the hit was linked to a car and other items valued at more than R200 000 that were taken from Pillay and that could not be paid for. The source said Jugdaw had been the shooter.

Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, a spokesperson for the Hawks, said Essop and Naidoo’s arrest had led them to Manuel, who was allegedly found in possession of three unlicensed firearms and live ammunition.

“The firearms will be sent for ballistic tests to ascertain if they were used in the commission of any crime in the country,” said Mhlongo.

Essop and Naidoo were charged with two counts of attempted murder, and Manuel was charged with possession of unlicensed firearms. All four accused were remanded.

Meanwhile, Abubaku Amisa, 37, and Carlos Mpanza, 36, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday for the murder of Faziela Fakroodeen and her daughter Luthfiya Cassim Mooideen, in December last year.

The accused abandoned their bail application and the matter was adjourned for further investigation.