Son wants murder case dad home

‘He wasn’t given time to grieve’

THE son of murder accused Rajiv Sewnarain wants his father to come home so he can feel like a child again.

Srikesh Sewnarain, 25, was 17 when his mother, Shanaaz, was killed in an apparent hijacking in 2010, allegedly staged by his father.

While fighting to prove his father’s innocence and paying the legal costs, he has been caring for his sister, who was 14 when their mother died. He did not want his sister named.

“I’ve missed out on a lot. For my 21st birthday I had to go out and buy my own key” – birthday token – “so I made sure I bought my sister a key for her birthday and that she always had a normal childhood,” he told the Sunday Tribune Herald in an exclusive interview.

Forced to grow up too soon, and allegedly disregarded by his mother’s family for supporting his father, Srikesh said his friends did not want to be seen with him and the media had branded his father a murderer.

Rajiv Sewnarain is being retried in the Durban High Court. The 51-year-old Clairwood businessman was sentenced to life imprisonment on December 22, 2010.

According to Srikesh, who testified in court last month, his parents left home on December 10 to get pizza. He became concerned when hours passed and he could not get in touch with them.

“We eventually got a call from a relative, saying dad was shot and in hospital.

“When I got there, I was shocked to see him wounded but all he asked was: ‘Where’s mommy?’

“That’s when I realised she wasn’t with him. When family told me she had died, I broke down and cried for the first time in my life,” he said.

Shanaaz was found dead in their car in Folweni near Isipingo. She had been fatally wounded by gunshots.

Warrant Officer Viresh Panday testified in court that he doubted the incident was a botched hijacking as Sewnarain was largely unhurt and Shanaaz posed no threat to the hijackers.

Outside court, Srikesh was critical of aspects of Panday’s evidence.

Shortly after the incident in 2010, Sewnarain allegedly pleaded guilty to paying two hit men R30000 to kill his wife.

Of his father’s confession, Srikesh said it was made under duress.

“My father wasn’t in the right state of mind. My mother had just died and maybe he felt remorse because he was supposed to protect her. Police allegedly assaulted him to get him to make that plea. They didn’t even give him time to grieve.”

Srikesh also questioned how someone could be sentenced to life imprisonment less than two weeks after the incident.

He said his parents had been high school sweethearts and often finished each other’s sentences. “Okay, yes he had an affair, but no one is perfect, and he is not a person to hurt anyone,” added Srikesh .

Meanwhile, contradictory evidence continued to be led from the State and defence in court. In one instance during Panday’s testimony, it emerged that the warrant officer allegedly helped Sewnarain to sell a motorbike worth R40 000.

While Panday said the sale was concluded after Sewnarain had been sentenced to life imprisonment, defence advocate Shane Mathews said by assisting the murderaccused, Panday had compromised himself.

Sewnarain has been working in his father’s business and studying.

Since 2010, the Sewnarain teenagers have been living with their uncle, Rajiv’s brother.

The trial is expected to resume in October.