Rameez Patel High Stake Murder Trial Nears Conclusion As Closing Arguments Delivered

The murder trial of Polokwane businessman Rameez Patel, accused of killing his 28-year-old wife Fatima Patel in 2015, is approaching its final stages as both the State and defence delivered closing arguments in the Polokwane High Court.

The captivating trial, which has spanned for nearly a decade, will resume on Tuesday for the final arguments.

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Patel, 38, was arrested after his wife’s body was found in a pool of blood at their Nirvana townhouse on April 10, 2015.

The court heard that Fatima had been strangled, suffered blunt force trauma, and was ultimately killed by a gunshot to the head.

The murder weapon, believed to be a cricket bat, was later found hidden in the ceiling of the couple’s home.

Conflicting Testimonies

The trial has been marked by conflicting testimony, forensic reports, and a deep dive into the couple’s troubled marriage.

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Last week, Rameez’s brother, Razeen Patel, testified that Rameez threatened to kill him if he ever revealed the truth about Fatima’s death.

However, defence lawyer Advocate Saleem Khan argued that Razeen also stated Rameez screamed and held Fatima’s body after discovering her, indicating shock and innocence.

Khan claimed that the State’s case relied entirely on circumstantial evidence and pointed out the absence of Rameez’s DNA under Fatima’s fingernails, despite visible scratch marks on his neck.

He argued that religious washing rituals (“ghusl”) wouldn’t have removed DNA traces if Rameez had been the attacker.

In contrast, Senior State Advocate Lethabo Mashiane asserted that Rameez could not explain his injuries, nor why he left the crime scene to shower at a relative’s home before alerting authorities.

The prosecution also revealed Fatima had been angry with Rameez on the day of her death and accused him of infidelity.

Family Tragedies And Past Allegations Cloud The Case

Beyond Fatima’s murder, Rameez Patel has been linked to a series of violent family incidents.

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He was previously accused of killing his mother, Muhajeen Patel, but the case was provisionally withdrawn due to lack of evidence.

His father Firoz was murdered in an unsolved robbery, while his current father-in-law, Yunus Mayet, was kidnapped and killed.

In 2018, Razeen Patel was shot just days before he was due to testify against his brother.

Fatima’s death was initially ruled as homicide after forensic expert Dr. Thakadu Mamashela testified that she had been beaten, strangled, and shot.

The defence brought forward their own expert, Professor Terence Kommal, who claimed Fatima died from strangulation and could have survived the other injuries for several minutes.

The verdict in this emotionally charged case is expected following the conclusion of closing arguments this week.

Rameez Patel remains out on R250,000 bail.

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