Six women, including managers and sales representatives from Premjis Jewellers in Gateway, are currently on trial for allegedly stealing over R3.2 million worth of jewellery and falsifying stock records. The accused appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week, marking the start of proceedings that have drawn considerable public interest.
The defendants – store managers Nailash Lala, 61, Reshmar Raghubar, 39, and sales representatives Samendrie Pillay, 30, Yagna Ramdeen, 29, Kamentha Pillai, 28, and Sashmila Rajkumar, 34 – have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Hailing from various localities including Phoenix, Avoca, Umdloti, Verulam, and Umgeni Park, these women were arrested in September 2023 and released on R20,000 bail each.
The prosecution’s case took a pivotal turn with the testimony of Vishnu Pather, the director of Premjis Jewellers, who was the first witness for the State. Pather revealed that a sales representative, Sashika Sewpersad, alerted him to the alleged theft in June 2023 after discovering that three high-end Michelle Herbelin watches were missing. He stated that the theft claimed to have occurred between February 2018 and June 2023, suggesting a lengthy and well-orchestrated scheme.
“When Sewpersad raised the alarm on the theft, it triggered an internal investigation that unveiled a shocking manipulation of stock records. High-value items were allegedly mislabelled with low-value tags, and missing items were cleverly omitted from inventory sheets,” Pather recounted.
Lala, in a detailed affidavit, vehemently denied the charges, asserting that she had not worked full days during the alleged period of theft and was frequently given time off. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, I never worked, and once I returned, the business continued without proper stocktaking,” she argued, adding that her constitutional rights had been infringed during the investigation process.
Lala also questioned the integrity of the evidence presented, claiming that important documents were withheld from her defence to undermine her right to a fair trial.
Six women, including managers and sales representatives from Premjis Jewellers in Gateway, are currently on trial for allegedly stealing over R3.2 million worth of jewellery and falsifying stock records. The accused appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week, marking the start of proceedings that have drawn considerable public interest.
Rajkumar echoed Lala’s sentiments, insisting she had resigned from the company due to alleged mistreatment by Pather and firmly denying any theft. “The complainant is being malicious in charging for the alleged theft. I never stole anything,” she stated, challenging the adequacy of the State’s evidence.
Ramdeen, another co-accused, highlighted her part-time employment beginning in February 2020, emphasising her innocence against the accusations. “I was arrested less than two months after my co-accused because I refused to falsely implicate anyone,” she explained. Like her counterparts, she raised concerns about privacy violations regarding her cellphone records during the investigation.
Four suspects were reportedly shot and killed in Yeoville, Johannesburg, on Wednesday morning.Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed the shooting.“Active crime scene at Yeoville. Four suspects (were) fatally wounded and one injured. Three firearms (were ) recovered,” she said.It is unclear what led to the shooting and what the suspects were allegedly involved in.Further details about the incident had not been released at the time of writing.*This is a […]
