South African Indian drug addict ‘Hacked his Parents to Death’

A young South African Indian drug addict allegedly murdered his parents and then lived with their bodies for a week in the family home. The unnamed 21-year-old “hacked his parents to death” at their home in Phoenix.

Police discovered the bodies on Tuesday 28th February 2017, after neighbours informed them. Subsequently, police charged the Indian drug addict with murder.

The police confirmed that they are investigating a case of murder. They also said that the Indian drug addict apparently lived with his parents’ decomposing bodies for a full week. He was their only child.

Reports identified the bodies as 50-year-old Shoba Singh and 56-year-old Prakash Singh. The investigation also revealed that Prakash suffered a stroke in the past and, as a result, became disabled.

Suspicions grew after nearby neighbours asked the Indian drug addict about his parents. He claimed they had gone to another town to visit family. Unconvinced, a family member broke into the house and eventually discovered the horrific sight. Reports claim the neighbour found the bodies “hacked through the head”.

Police did not explain the motive behind the attack. However, a neighbour mentioned: “The youth was due to be sent to a drug rehabilitation centre by his mother.”

Neighbours also told of their shock at not just the murders, but also the Indian drug addict’s behaviour.

One neighbour, Raj Mayalal said:

“He never misbehaved and was also polite. He was a friend of my children and was in and out of my house but in the past few months, I noticed a change in him. From being a neat and tidy child he started looking untidy and unkempt.”

Drug addiction in South African Indians is a growing problem amongst towns such as Phoenix. Social workers believe the South African government need to do more work for tackling the drug problem.

As seen from this case, drug dependency sometimes lead to extreme, tragic situations. Police will continue with their investigations on the case.