Wendy Jasson da Costa
POLICE arrested three people in connection with the murders of Tongaat couple Balaram and Maliga Reddy, who were shot dead at their home last Thursday morning.
Their son Nivashin was shot and stabbed several times in the incident, but survived the attack.
Police Colonel Jay Naicker said officers arrested the first suspect at his home in Frasers, near Tongaat, on the North Coast, yesterday morning. They also recovered bloodstained clothing belonging to the man which would be sent for tests.
In addition, a knife and two 9mm firearms were also found and would be tested to determine if they had been used in the attack.
Two more suspects were arrested in Frasers in the afternoon.
A pair of shoes belonging to one of Reddy’s sons was found on the men.
“At this stage, based on the information we have, it appears the motive for the incident was robbery,” said Naicker.
He said it appeared as if the suspects had known that Reddy was a businessman and had assumed that money would be found in his house.
Last week, relatives said they believed the attack was linked to the family’s business interests. Reddy owned a convenience store in Frasers and a bus company, and some relatives suspected that disputes over routes could have led to his death.
At the time of the attack, Reddy’s daughter Prishini, who is six months pregnant, and her husband, Rishal Ramanan, were also in the house. Although they were also tormented by the killers, their lives were spared.
Naicker said the suspects were likely to appear in court tomorrow.
