Dr Melvin Naidu, the 51-year-old man stabbed to death at The Capital Pearls in uMhlanga, was subject of a failed assassination plot allegedly by his brother-in-law, neurosurgeon Dr Anand Rapiti.
TellitallSA reported when Rapiti, whose sister is married to Naidu, was charged with conspiracy to murder in January after allegedly ordering a hit on Naidu following a family feud.
Hawks investigators arrested Naidu late last year after receiving a tip-off from one of Rapiti’s patients, Desmond Maneveldt, who was allegedly hired by Rapiti to kill Naidu.
In a statement read out in court, Rapiti made a R10 000 down-payment, which the Hawks collected and stored as evidence.
Undercover operations were conducted, with audio and video recordings gathered from the meetings between Rapiti and Maneveldt, who received a further R25 000 payment.
When he was arrested, Rapiti was under the impression that the murder was still going ahead, the arrest was just a delay, and Maneveldt was introducing him to the hit man.
The case is still in court.
Meanwwhile, the woman accused of murdering Naidu is expected to make her first court appearance on Monday.
Timeslive reported that Naidu was in the company of a 31-year-old woman at the up-market The Capital Pearls when he died on Thursday.
Police spokesperson Capt Nqobile Gwala said the woman was expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on a murder charge.
She said the details of the appearance would only be confirmed on Monday morning.
On Thursday night at about 10pm guests alerted hotel security after overhearing an altercation.
Naidu, who was in his boxer shorts and sandals, collapsed outside the blood-splattered hotel room door after he was allegedly stabbed in the neck.
“The suspect was heard screaming for help, followed by the [man] who was also shouting for help.”
“A 51-year-old man fell on to the floor outside the room with a stab wound on the neck,” Gwala said.