A GAUTENG uncle and nephew convicted of killing a former Durban businessman, are on the run after losing their leave to appeal in their conviction and sentencing.

Ugresen Perumal and his nephew Dinesh Moodley were charged with the murder of Avinash Manjanu in 2017.

Manjanu, 31, from Lenasia South, was shot at a birthday party.

In 2019, the Johannesburg High Court found them guilty of murder and sentenced them each to 25 years imprisonment.

However, they were granted leave to appeal the conviction and sentencing in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

After five years, it was dismissed by the SCA in June this year.

Moodley and Perumal were supposed to hand themselves over to police but failed to do so and have been on the run ever since.

According to the SCA judgement on the evening of November 4, 2017, Vinay Choonie, one of the state witnesses, hosted a party at his home in Lenasia South.

At the time Choonie was a councillor for the area.

Moodley and the deceased were amongst the guests. An altercation broke out involving Moodley and Manjanu’s brother, who was accused of inappropriately touching Moodley’s sister, Nerisha Moodley.

The altercation escalated to a physical fight, which caused Choonie to end the celebrations and he asked all the guests to leave his home.

Moodley and Manjanu left but Manjanu returned at a later stage and enquired about the assault on his brother.

On his arrival, Manjanu parked his vehicle close to the pavement by Choonie’s house. He got out from the vehicle and stood by the driver’s door, conversing with Choonie, his wife Prenisha Moodley, Simeshan Naidoo and Lorraine Moodley.

Whilst they were talking about Moodley assaulting his brother, Perumal arrived in a grey Hyundai i20, with Moodley in the passenger seat.

This vehicle made a U-turn on Hibiscus Crescent and came to park behind Manjanu’s vehicle. Perumal got out of the vehicle, proceeded straight towards Manjanu with a firearm in his hand, and started shooting directly at Manjanu.

He was spurred on by Moodley to shoot Manjanu. When the shots were fired, Manjanu was facing Perumal. After the shooting, Manjanu got into his vehicle and drove off. Moodley and Perumal also got into their vehicle and sped off following Manjanu’s vehicle.

Choonie and the rest of the group followed Manjanu in his (Choonie’s) vehicle.

They drove for about 220 metres and saw Manjanu’s vehicle, which had collided with a wall of one of the houses. They found him slumped in the driver’s seat. A post- mortem found that he had succumbed to a gunshot wound to his chest.

The court dismissed the appeal because the eyewitnesses were ‘steadfast and unshaken’ when identifying the accused.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo, a Gauteng police spokesperson, said the accused appealed their sentencing and it was dismissed.

“The court ordered the two to hand themselves over to the authorities to commence their sentences. Instead, the duo decided to abscond and have disappeared. Warrants of arrest have been issued for them.”

Anyone with information can call Colonel Nelson Manganyi on 079 529 4642 or Sergeant Isaac Mokati on 072 326 9067.

THE POST