‘Cross-dresser’ murder accused in court
AFTER failing to attend court on two consecutive occasions, murder accused Romano
Naidoo, 34, will finally stand trial in November for his alleged execution style-shooting of an apparent gay cross-dresser.
It’s been five years since the murder of Hare Krishna devotee Manishvar Ramraj.
Ramraj, 34, was found dead in his bedroom at his grandmother’s Brookdale house in Phoenix, with a gunshot wound to his head.
His body was clean shaven, and Ramraj was dressed in black, lacy lingerie.
Investigations revealed that Ramjraj, and then 28-year-old Naidoo, had been chatting on Mxit prior to the murder.
Ramraj was reported to have assumed the name of ‘Debbie’ during their friendly chat sessions.
They planned to meet on April 9, 2013, at Ramraj’s Brookdale home, but Naidoo was instead greeted by a man in a lacy negligee.
According to media reports at the time, police were alerted to the murder when a neighbour heard a gunshot.
Ramraj was found in a pool of blood and died while being transported to hospital.
The murder charge against Naidoo was initially withdrawn at the Verulam Magistrates
Court but was reinstated after a complaint was laid by the victim’s family. A new investigating officer was assigned, and the matter has since been proceeding at the Durban High Court from 2017.
But Naidoo had tried to evade justice, according to Judge Sharon Marks, who presided over the matter this week.
She sentenced Naidoo to three months for being absent from court on two occasions.
Naidoo has been charged with murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances, and the unlawful possession of a firearm.
Naidoo’s excuse for not attending court in April, when the matter was set down for trial, was that he “was sick, scared and busy looking for work.”
After a warrant of arrest was issued for Naidoo, he was tracked down on May 11 and arrested by Warrant Officer Rajan Matthews Govender.
He previously missed court in December and was convicted for “wilful default” and handed a suspended sentence.
But on Wednesday, Judge Marks had had enough of Naidoo’s behaviour.
“I find your behaviour to be in disregard not only to the deceased’s family and the State who are waiting to see the trial start but also to your legal counsel who you have not communicated with,” she said firmly to Naidoo.
Naidoo was hauled into the courts holding cells by prison officials.
Ramraj’s two sisters who live in Kwadukuza (Stanger), expressed their satisfaction with the decision to punish Naidoo’s absenteeism.
In a 2016 interview with the Sunday Tribune, Ramraj’s sister Navina, denied her brother was a cross-dresser.
“He was due to perform a religious dance at a cultural event the week he got shot, So his body was clean-shaven. My brother was a religious man,” she said.