Durban - For more than three decades, Detective Warrant Officer Visvanathan Kevin Nair, of Bayview SAPS in Chatsworth, served his community. He ensured that convictions were secured in several high-profile cases, including the murder of Baby X.
Nair, 52, of Chatsworth, died in hospital on Sunday from Covid-19. His daughter, Lucina Nair, said her dad and family tested positive for the virus on December 29.
"We experienced flu-like symptoms. My dad had a cough, a fever and a loss of appetite. We tested on December 28 and the test results were positive. As the days progressed, my dad's condition worsened and his oxygen levels dropped.
"On December 31, we called the paramedics. At the time, there was a shortage of beds in Durban as the province had just seen a spike in cases, so my dad was taken to a hospital in Pietermaritzburg."
Lucina said her father was taken to ICU. During that time he texted and video-called the family.
"He was not able to talk so, during the video calls, he nodded or did some gesture. But in his messages, he was supportive and he encouraged us to persevere and stay strong. That was just the type of person he was. There are not enough words to describe the type of person, husband, father and grandfather he was. He was truly the head of our family and he loved us all dearly. He was also compassionate and he loved animals."
She said her father joined the SAPS in 1987 and worked in Bayview SAPS's trio crime unit.
"Being a policeman was not just a job for my dad. It was his passion. He was dedicated and loved what he did, and that was protecting people and ensuring criminals were brought to book. He was never afraid of hard work and putting in the extra hours."
In November 2015, the body of a three-year-old girl, referred to as Baby X, from Havenside, Chatsworth, was found in her home. She was allegedly killed by her mother and grandmother, following abuse. Nair was the investigating officer in the case.
After months of investigations, and the subsequent trial, the child’s mother was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2018. The grandmother died in prison while awaiting trial.
In November last year, Navin Chanderlal was sentenced to 13 years in jail for the 2018 murder of his wife, Vathaniagee “Jennifer” Pillay, a retired nurse, of Silverglen, Chatsworth. Nair was also the investigating officer in the case.
Lucina said his motto was "fortune favours the brave".
"Dad always used to say, 'you will never get anything you desire if you don't try'. He also said anything was achievable if you put your mind and heart into getting it. That is something we will always remember him by."
Nair’s funeral will be at his home today (Wednesday) and it will proceed to Bayview police station.
He leaves his wife, Rani, two daughters, Lucina and Merlene, son-in-law and three grandchildren.
The Post