The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will investigate a Durban police officer who failed to remove a firearm from Kyle Inderlall, as ordered by the Pinetown magistrate’s court, before he fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Sasha Lee Shah, at the Gateway shopping mall in 2022.
After the murder Inderlall turned the gun on himself, leaving a suicide note in her car.
Shah’s mother Jessica Shah last week met Verulam police, who confirmed the body that investigates police misconduct had taken over the case.
“I was pleased to hear Ipid will be dealing with the case. I trust they will carry out the necessary investigations timeously as I have provided sufficient evidence proving Kyle Inderlall used his licensed firearm to murder my daughter. A licensed firearm that a magistrate instructed be removed. I proved he was served the interim protection order and I included details of the three previous cases against him at Phoenix police station, two of which included the non-removal of his licensed firearm.
“I humbly ask that Ipid treat this case with the respect and dignity it deserves and will provide constant updates. I pray justice is served,” Shah told TimesLive on Monday.
Last month, Shah laid a charge of contempt of court against the police captain who works in the Phoenix domestic violence unit. The police officer had 33 days during which she could have removed the firearm from Inderlall but she did not.
An internal disciplinary hearing resulted in a two-month suspension without pay. However, Shah wants the police officer to face the full might of the law.
“In her application for the protection order, my daughter speaks to how she was abused by Mr Inderlall and his threats to kill himself. She said she was afraid of him because he had a firearm. Among other things, he stalked and kidnapped her once, which led her to apply for a protection order against him. The interim order together with the application for the protection order was sent to the domestic violence unit at the Phoenix police station,” she said in her affidavit.
“She read the contents of the interim order before serving it. It clearly stipulated the firearm be removed as it was a domestic violence case. She signed and stamped the return of service acknowledging it had been served. She failed to comply with the order to remove the firearm,” Shah said.
She decided to take action against the police officer after her failure to seize the gun was not addressed at her daughter ’s inquest.
The magistrate said she was not able to make a ruling on whether the captain was a person of interest in Sasha Lee ’s death because she was not called as a witness.
“To the police my daughter is a statistic. But to me, she is my world. Who will fight for justice for her but me? She is 25 years old and in a grave. She has no voice. I am her voice.”
KwaZulu-Natal police have not yet responded.
TimesLIVE