A 32-year-old man accused of theft was severely injured after being kidnapped, assaulted and left for dead in Temple Valley, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday, August 26.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) responded to multiple calls from the public. One caller reported that a group of men in three vehicles were assaulting a man on Pakco Street.
Reaction Officers arrived at 1.52pm and found the injured man in dense bush along the roadside. He had sustained a fractured right leg, left arm and had head injuries.
Rusa spokesperson, Prem Balram said the man explained that a large group of men attacked him, accusing him of stealing. They beat him with metal pipes and then forced him into a vehicle.
The group took him to an unknown location, where the assault continued until he lost consciousness.
“He regained consciousness a short while later, but played dead. He overheard the men making arrangements to discard his body on the railway line,” said Balram.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that the group of men that allegedly kidnapped and assaulted the victim were a total of eight men.
The attackers drove to an overhead bridge, where they realised he was still alive. They removed him from the car and resumed the assault, but his screams alerted the public.
A member of the public captured a photo showing two of the vehicles involved, a Renault and a VW Touareg. Another vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, fled the scene before the photo was taken.
Balram further explained that while denying the theft accusations, the man said, “I survive on handouts from the public”.
Netshiunda said Verulam police are investigating cases of attempted murder and kidnapping following the incident.
“The reports indicate that while the victim was walking along Ireland Street, he was accosted by the suspects who were driving a blue vehicle.
“They reportedly assaulted and forced him into their vehicle before driving to a railway bridge near Pakco Street where he was dumped. He sustained injuries on the body and was taken to hospital for medical attention,” said Netshiunda.
The man was stabilised at the scene and transported to the hospital by ambulance.
IOL News