Limpopo businessman Rameez Patel will know his fate on Tuesday as Magistrate Mohammed Shaik is set to deliver his verdict on Patel’s bail application.

Patel, 29, has already spent 46 days in police cells.

He has been seeking to be released on bail since his arrest for the alleged murder of his wife Fatima, who was shot and killed on April 10 at Nirvana, a suburb in Polokwane. The pathology report stated she was also strangled and brutally assaulted.

Patel vowed to plead not guilty.

He has been in holding cell since April 16, and the immediate push to have him released on bail has been unsuccessful so far.

At first the state was granted a postponement for further investigation, and at his second bail appearance the case was again postponed as the investigating officer was writing exams.

The third hearing was marred by drama as investigating officer David Nkuna complained about having to terminate his study leave to testify.

He collapsed in the court, and the hearing was adjourned again.

‘Flight risk’

Nkuna told court during the bail application that Patel was a flight risk, and that he had relatives in the UK and India.

During closing arguments, state prosecutor Mark von Dronik told court that Patel did not show any signs that he wanted to be released on bail.

He said the fact that the bloodstained clothes he allegedly wore on the day of the murder are still missing, and the fact that Patel does not want to hand it over should be considered as an obstruction of justice.

He also argued that the gun used to kill Fatima was still missing.

Patel’s lawyer, Tumi Mokwena, repeatedly tried to convince the court to release his client on bail for the sake of his three children.

Mokwena argued that there was contradictory evidence on whether Patel tested positive for gun residue or not. News24