Two women accused of drugging and robbing pensioner granted bail

Two women accused of drugging and robbing a 75-year-old man have been granted bail after spending 58 days in custody.

The Verulam Magistrate’s Court approved bail amounts of R10 000 for Rushendree Reddy, 39, and R5 000 for Indrani Moodley, 49.

The two women were arrested by Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) following an alleged incident where they befriended the pensioner, spiked his tea with a potent sedative, and looted his home while he was unconscious earlier last year. The duo has since been linked to multiple similar cases across KwaZulu-Natal, targeting elderly victims with the same modus operandi.

Ms Reddy was apprehended at her Montford home in Chatsworth, where she reportedly clung to her son for an hour in an attempt to evade arrest. Reaction officers eventually restrained and detained her. Ms Moodley was arrested at her Sunford residence in Phoenix while allegedly intoxicated.

Footage of the arrests shows the suspects blaming each other for the crime. In one clip, a suspect is heard offering saris to Reaction officers as they attempted to recover stolen eastern wear from a robbery allegedly committed by the women.

The suspects’ families later surrendered mobile phones, laptops, and other valuables taken during the robbery. Ms Reddy, previously convicted of a similar offence, had paid R2 million in restitution to her former victim and received a 10-year suspended sentence.

Her co-accused in that case is currently serving a lengthy prison term. Both Ms Reddy and Ms Moodley face additional pending charges for house robbery.