Chatsworth family accused of ‘insuring and killing’ nanny

A CHATSWORTH family has pleaded not guilty to murdering their nanny after they allegedly took out a R750 000 life insurance policy on her without her knowledge.

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

The trio is accused of advertising for ananny with the specific intent to insure and kill the victim. WhatsApp evidence presented in court revealed chilling messages about the victim needing to “kick the bucket’.

Amdhew Chuttergoon, 49, his wife Managie Jessica Chuttergoon, 49, and their daughter, Thurashni Trailene Naidoo, 30, of Crossmoor, allegedly orchestrated the killing of Rashree Dwarika, 52, of Royal Manor in Phoenix.

They had hired her to provide housekeeping and nanny services. Dwarika was found dead in the pool of a holiday home the Chuttergoon’s had rented in Umzumbe, on the KZN South Coast, on June 17, 2023. The postmortem results confirmed Dwarika had drowned.

Amdhew, Managie and Naidoo were arrested in September 2023 and charged with premeditated murder, defeating the course of justice, fraud, forgery, uttering and theft.

The trial started in the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court last Thursday.

According to the indictment, the family had allegedly published a fake advertisement for the employment of the domestic worker or nanny at their residence “with the aim of roping in their victim”.

It has been alleged that they then fraudulently obtained a life insurance policy for R750 000 with Discovery Life, which stated that Naidoo would be the beneficiary of the death payout if Dwarika died. In WhatsApp messages used as evidence from the State, a Discovery Life insurance consultant asked Naidoo if the woman would do a mandatory blood test.

Naidoo said: “She better do the bloods. I need her to kick the bucket”