Family launches bid to block bail for murder-accused Sarah Lee Naidoo

The family of murdered Julian Ramiah has gathered nearly 800 signatures on a petition urging the court to deny bail to his lover, Sarah Lee Naidoo, 29, who is accused of his murder. 

Naidoo will appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court next week to continue her bail application related to the fatal stabbing of Ramiah, 47, during a violent altercation at his Bloubergstrand apartment on September 1, 2025. 

As she remains in custody at Pollsmoor Prison, her newly appointed Legal Aid attorney is preparing to argue for her release, amid growing public concern over the case.

The opposed application is set down for February 18 and 19.

Meanwhile, Ramiah's family and loved ones have garnered nearly 800 signatures in a petition calling for Naidoo not to be released on bail.

The no-bail petition reads: “This petition is submitted in good faith, based on observations of court proceedings and statements made in open court. 

“It does not seek to determine guilt or to interfere with judicial independence, but to express public concern regarding factors relevant to bail, including witness safety, public interest, and the integrity of the judicial process.

“Julian was not merely a name on a charge sheet. He was a husband, brother, father, son, friend — a human being whose absence has left a permanent and painful void. His family now grieves a loss that words cannot undo, while simultaneously being required to navigate courtrooms, procedures, and fear.

“This petition is written because justice does not exist in silence alone.”