Pregnant kidnap accused granted bail
2013-02-01 17:14
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Johannesburg
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Johannesburg - A woman accused of kidnapping baby Revelation Jones and trying to kill his nanny was granted bail by the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Friday.
Khadija Khan - who is seven months pregnant with her fourth child - was granted bail of R3 000 based on the circumstances of her health, as presented in an affidavit.
"The court sees it legally proper to grant you bail. You are instructed to continue living at the address on record and not commit the same offence again while on bail," said Magistrate PJ du Plessis.
Her boyfriend and co-accused, Khalid Ayub, was refused bail.
Du Plessis said Ayub had not presented satisfactory personal circumstances to warrant bail.
"Your circumstances are not exceptional in the context of this case.... You said in your affidavit that your were intoxicated on the day and did not know what was happening."
In his affidavit, Ayub had told the court he needed to be home to take care of his as yet unborn baby with Khan.
In her affidavit, Khan told the court Ayub had forced her to take part in the kidnapping and had held her and the Jones baby in a hotel for two days against their will.
The couple stood quietly in the dock as they listened to Du Plessis' verdict in their bail applications.
"I am happy she is free for now. She is pregnant and has three children to look after at home," Khan's mother, who refused to give her name, said outside the courtroom.
However, the nanny's husband, Daniel Kanda, was not pleased with the outcome.
"My wife almost died and they want to be free... I am disappointed."
Kanda said his wife, who was still traumatised, had only now begun to recover and was walking again.
Khan and Ayub allegedly kidnapped the baby from his parents' house in Bezuidenhout Valley on 8 January and tried to slit the nanny's throat.
The infant's father received an sms to pay R100 000 in exchange for the baby's safe return.
Khan and Ayub, who had rented a room in the Jones family's house, were arrested in Fordsburg on 10 January after a tip-off. The baby was found unharmed.
They also face a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The matter was postponed to 12 February, for a trial date to be set.
- SAPA
