The case against seven men accused of kidnapping a University of the Witwatersrand student is scheduled to resume in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today.
The hearing was postponed last month for further investigation.
The defendants face charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, and extortion. They allegedly lured the student through the dating app Grindr and abducted him in September.
All seven men remain in custody after their bail applications were rejected last month. The court heard that the victim was held hostage for several hours at the Denver Men’s Hostel in Johannesburg and his family was extorted for his safe return.
The seven men are alleged to be linked to 86 other cases involving the kidnapping of people in the LGBTQ+ community.
Police say officers arrested a man at an ATM on the M2 as he was allegedly trying to withdraw a R30 000 ransom.
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