Nairobi trader charged with assaulting his mother

Businessman Raj Devani at the Kiambu Law Courts.

Controversial businessman Raj Devani was yesterday arraigned in court for allegedly assaulting his mother.

Mr Raj denied charges of assault and causing bodily before Kiambu Magistrate Stella Atambo.

Raj was accused of attacking his 66-year-old mother, Bambi Devani, on the night of February 28 at their home in Runda.

"On the February 28, 2017 at around 9.40pm at Runda within Nairobi County, he willingly and unlawfully assaulted Bambi Harikrishna Devani thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm," the charge sheet read.

He is related to Yagnesh Devani, the proprietor of Triton Petroleum Ltd, who fled Kenya in 2009.

In 2014, Raj was arraigned before a Milimani Magistrate Court over allegations of firing a gun in a public building in Nairobi's Westlands area.

He pleaded to charges of firing his gun at Shimmers Plaza and endangering the lives of the public. Police said he had gone to the scene of the incident armed with a Beretta Pistol, which he used to cause terror.

In court yesterday, the State asked the magistrate to have the accused remanded, as there was a warrant of arrest on his head for failing to appear in court for the gun case.

State counsel Diana Orango submitted that Raj has another warrant of arrest issued by a Kajiado Court for failing to appear in court to answer to charges of destroying a tourists' chopper worth Sh15 million.

"We are opposed to him being given bond as he has other warrants of arrest before Milimani and Kajiado courts," the prosecutor argued, adding that he posed danger to his mother since they both live under same roof.

According to the prosecution, Raj had sent his mother a threatening message. The court heard that the assault on his mother was a habitual act.

"The accused person is the complainant's son. It is not the first time he has assaulted her; he abuses her emotionally and she feels threatened," the court was told.

His lawyer, Stephen Kimathi, argued that his client should be released on bail pending the mention of the case.

The State will present five witnesses to support its case. Ms Atambo ordered the accused to be remanded and ordered the prosecution produce the warrants of arrest today to enable her rule whether to release him or not.