Indian-origin kick-boxer facing charge of killing wife held for his mother's murder

Johannesburg: A 30-year-old Indian origin professional kick-boxer, who is facing the charge of killing his wife, has been arrested for the alleged murder of his mother, the police said on Saturday

Rameez Patel was arrested on Friday following a probe and would be produced before the Polokwane Magistrates Court on Monday, Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Moathe Ngoepe told the media here

Patel's mother, Mahejeen Banu Patel, had died in a hospital a fortnight ago after she was shot at in her home in Nirvana, an exclusive Indian township established by the apartheid-era white minority government in the city of Polokwane

Mahejeen was taking care of Rameez's three children after his wife Fatima was murdered in April 2015

She had suffered multiple wounds and a fractured skull from a blunt instrument as well as a gunshot wound in her head

Rameez had alleged that his mother was killed by intruders, but during investigations the police detectives found inconsistencies in his story, leading to his arrest.

Ngoepe said that the motive of his mother's murder was unclear, as nothing was taken from the house, so the claim by Patel that intruders were responsible has been ruled out

At the time of his wife's murder also, there were no signs of forced entry at the very secure residence

It is alleged that in the ongoing case against Patel, he had falsely staged a burglary at the time of his wife's murder. A domestic help, who was in the house with the mother, remained unharmed and likely to turn state witness

According to investigating officer constable David Nkuna, Patel has also been implicated in two other murder cases previously

In one case, the body of a teenager was found from near his house, while the another is related to Ethopian immigrants

The first case was withdrawn due to lack of evidence while the other was considered to be a case of an illegal mob justice case.