Six Women on Trial for Alleged R3.2 Million Jewellery Theft at Premjis Jewellers
Six women, including managers and sales representatives from Premjis Jewellers in Gateway, are currently on trial for allegedly stealing over R3.2 million worth of jewellery and falsifying stock records. The accused appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week, marking the start of proceedings that have drawn considerable public interest.1
The Accused
The defendants are store managers Nailash Lala, 61, and Reshmar Raghubar, 39, and sales representatives Samendrie Pillay, 30, Yagna Ramdeen, 29, Kamentha Pillai, 28, and Sashmila Rajkumar, 34.1 They all have pleaded not guilty to the charges.1 The women hail from various localities including Phoenix, Avoca, Umdloti, Verulam, and Umgeni Park.1
The Allegations
The alleged theft occurred between February 2018 and June 2023.1 Vishnu Pather, the director of Premjis Jewellers, testified that a sales representative, Sashika Sewpersad, alerted him to the theft in June 2023 after discovering three missing Michelle Herbelin watches.1 The prosecution alleges that high-value items were mislabelled with low-value tags and omitted from inventory sheets.1
Defense Arguments
Nailash Lala, in an affidavit, denied the charges, stating she did not work full days during the alleged period of theft and was frequently given time off.1 Sashmila Rajkumar also denied the allegations, stating she resigned from the company in early 2023 due to alleged abuse by Vishnu Pather, and a stocktake was conducted before her resignation.1 Yagna Ramdeen stated she only began working part-time in February 2020 and was arrested after refusing to implicate her co-accused.1
Trial Delays and Concerns
The trial faced delays in November 2025, with the case adjourned for another pretrial conference.4 Kamlesh Premjee, the owner of Premjis Jewellers, expressed disappointment at the delays, noting the case had been ongoing for two years.4 Concerns were raised regarding the accessibility and proper commissioning of an audio recording presented as evidence by the state.4
The accused were arrested in September 2023 and released on R20,000 bail each.1 The trial is expected to continue later this year.1
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