Convicted killer Rajivee Soni granted bail pending appeal
|Published
Durban - Convicted killer businessman Rajivee Soni is going home.
The Pietermaritzburg businessman was jailed to 30 years for the 2013 murder of Pietermaritzburg doctor Bhavish Sewram.
On Thursday afternoon Soni won his application for bail pending his appeal in the Bloemfontein Supreme Court of Appeal.
Bhavish Sewram.
Picture: Supplied
Soni was granted leave to appeal both his sentence and conviction.
He was granted R400 000 bail.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Sandesh Sankar confirmed Soni's bail.
According to Sankar Soni's bail conditions include:
-Reporting to Loop Street SAPS every Wednesday.
-Surrendering his passport to the State.
-Attending his appeal hearing.
-He must try to arrange expedited hearing date for the appeal with the President of the SCA .
-If his appeal is dismissed he must surrender himself within 3 days.
Sewram, a father of two, was shot outside his surgery in Raisethorpe.
Soni believed that his wife, Kerusha, and Sewram were involved in a romantic relationship.
He enlisted the help of former policeman Brian Treasurer. Treasurer, who was serving a life sentence died in prison.
Hitmen Mfaniseni Nxumalo is also serving a life sentence.
On September 19, the Pietermaritzburg High Court found Soni guilty on six charges including murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
He began serving his prison sentence in October at the New Hanover Prison. He will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence, which is 15 years.
Sewram's wife Yuvadia Sewram told the POST shortly after Soni's conviction that it saddened her as a mother to see that Soni was using his innocent daughter to plead for leniency “for such a heinous crime that he intentionally orchestrated”.
A date has not been finalised for the appeal.