Sarika Bridgmohan sustained various injuries during her husband's failed attempted murder plot in March 2024
Image: Reaction Unit South Africa
A 38-year-old man from Newlands West, Durban, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating the attempted murder of his wife, Sarika Bridgmohan.
Ramith Aneerudh was found guilty of several charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft.
The sentence was handed down in the Umbumbulu Regional Court on Friday following a plea agreement.
The plot was uncovered on March 13, 2024, when Aneerudh lured his wife to a remote area in Winkelspruit under the guise of retrieving important documents from an attorney.
Upon arrival, Sarika was ambushed by two accomplices who allegedly strangled her with a rope and placed her in another vehicle, believing she was dead after she lost consciousness.
The would-be assailants intended to dispose of her body in the Ifafa area on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
Sarika later regained consciousness while inside the moving vehicle.
In a desperate act of survival, she leapt from the car, and sustained injuries in the process. She was then able to flag down passing motorists who came to her aid.
While recovering, Sarika feared for her life and sought assistance from Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) on April 14, where she expressed concern that another attack could occur if those responsible remained at large.
According to RUSA, authorities launched an investigation that led to the recovery of her white GWM vehicle in a remote area near Umzinto the following day.
Officers then embarked on a 560-kilometre journey to Coffee Bay in the Eastern Cape after receiving information that the suspects had fled to the area.
Their location was considered critical, as they were reportedly armed and prepared to take their own lives to evade capture.
On the afternoon of April 16, RUSA officers discovered Aneerudh and his accomplices hiding in a house and took them into custody before they could carry out their threats.
Weapons, including a rope, a panga and knives, were seized, along with a female accomplice who had allegedly facilitated their escape.
According to a RUSA spokesperson: “While this was ongoing, a dramatic twist occurred during the investigation when allegations of police corruption surfaced. The family of the suspects provided voice recordings of a police officer allegedly attempting to solicit a bribe to facilitate the suspects’ escape from custody.”
Following Aneerudh’s conviction and sentencing, the remaining suspects are expected to stand trial as legal proceedings continue in the matter.
DAILY NEWS