A 42-year-old Durban woman who has been charged for defeating the ends of justice by allegedly staging her hijacking has been released on bail.
Shivani Singh, 42, and 55-year-old Shanil Bharath made their first appearance in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said they were released on bail of R1,500 each.
“The matter was adjourned to October 10, 2024 for further investigation.”
On Thursday, August 22, a missing persons alert was posted on various social media platforms following Singh’s disappearance.
It stated that she had been hijacked.
However, KZN police said the woman handed herself over to authorities on Saturday morning (August 24,2024) in Newcastle.
KZN police spokesperson Robert Nethsuinda said the woman claimed to have been hijacked in Verulam and was locked in the boot of her car where she miraculously managed to send two voice note messages to her husband.
“Intelligence uncovered that prior to her imaginary hijacking and kidnapping, the woman had spent sometime at a casino.”
Nethsuinda said that the woman was traced to an overnight accommodation in Newcastle.
“Realising that the police were closing in on her, the woman presented herself at the Newcastle police station claiming that her kidnappers dropped her on the side of the road.”
Police say the 55-year-old man, was also arrested for allegedly being party to the orchestration of her fake kidnapping.
He is also accused of assisting the woman to dispose of her vehicle after spending the night with her.
-IOL
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