Shrien Dewani: We are closer to truth, say parents of murdered Anni Dewani

 
Shrien Dewani and his wife Anni on their honeymoon
Shekhar Bhatia8 April 2014

The family of honeymoon bride Anni Dewani today said they felt they were “closer to the truth” as her husband prepared to fly to South Africa to stand trial for her murder.

Shrien Dewani, 34, is accused of masterminding the murder of his new bride by arranging for their taxi to be hijacked and for her to be shot near Cape Town in November 2010. He insists he is innocent.

Anni's father told of their relief as two South African detectives prepared to take the millionaire Bristol businessman to Heathrow this evening following a three-and-a-half year battle against extradition.

Vinod Hindocha, who has attended 27 court hearings during that time, said: "At last Shrien is being returned to South Africa. It is not going to bring my beautiful daughter back. Nothing will and there is no reason for celebration about him finally being in the hands of police after all this time.

"But we are a step closer to knowing exactly what happened. That is what we have wanted all along and been waiting for.

"I know the South Africans will ensure that he gets a full trial and I hope that once the correct verdict is reached, we can all move on."

Mr Hindocha, 65, added at his home in Mariestad, Sweden: "It is up to Shrien to tell everybody exactly what happened. I say to him ‘Give us the truth and help us reach closure'. That's all we ask for."

Dewani, in the company of top South African detectives Mike Barkhuizen and Paul Hendrikse, is due to board a British Airways direct flight to Cape Town with a nurse and doctor, to care for the suspect who has been treated for post traumatic shock in a Bristol hospital.

Members of his family are also said to be booked on the flight and defence lawyers in Cape Town have been hired to represent him when he appears before Western Cape High Court on Tuesday morning, hours after landing in South Africa.

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He is likely to be remanded in custody and assessed for being a suicide risk after years of being treated for depression and post traumatic shock.

Anni's family have told police and South African broadcasters that they have no objection to the proceedings being televised live from the court room

Three men are already serving time for their involvement in Anni's death, one of whom, tour bus operator Zola Tongo, implicated Dewani in in his confession saying he and the other two were paid £1,400 by him to carry out the slaying.

Xolile Mngeni, who prosecutors claim was the hitman, was convicted of premeditated murder for the shooting, and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, also pleaded guilty to murder and is serving a 25-year prison sentence.

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