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South African police at the scene where Anni Dewani's body was found. STR/AP/Press Association Images
Honeymoon Murder

Husband denies being involved in South African honeymoon murder

South African police are investigating whether newlywed Anni Dewani was killed in a premeditated attack.

THE HUSBAND OF a woman who was killed in South Africa earlier this month has rejected suggestions that he was involved in her death.

Shrien Dewani, 30, from Bristol, and his Swedish-born wife Anni, 28, had been driving through the outskirts of Cape Town during their honeymoon when they were carjacked by two armed men.

The couple’s driver was reportedly forced from the car and, after about an hour of driving, Shrien claims that he was pushed from the vehicle while it was still moving.

Anni’s body was found the next morning in the abandoned car. She had been shot three times at point blank range. Reports suggest that she had not been sexually assaulted.

South African police soon arrested two men in connection with the attack. However, last week they launched an investigation if the attack was random or premeditated.

Shrien has said that suggestions he had involvement in his wife’s death were completely untrue, and he had begged his attackers to take both his and her engagement and wedding rings, as well as other jewellery, cash and mobile phones.

Dewani told The Sun newspaper:

I searched high and low for my perfect partner. Anni was the one … why would I want to kill her? People who suggest this could not have seen us together. Saying I was somehow involved defies logic.

It was the end of my world. I feel like I’ve been robbed of the rest of my life.

However Anni’s father, Vinod Hindocha, said that his family felt were being kept in the dark about the case. “Neither the police nor my son-in-law are talking to me about anything,” he said. He added that he had a good relationship with his son-in-law.

Meanwhile, Anni’s uncle, Ashok Hindocha, called on the South African authorities to “dig deeper”.

“What we are still looking for is answers,” he said. “Why? Why was she killed? Why and by whom and for what? Tourists don’t just get killed, especially the girls.”

His comments echo those of Lieutenant Colonel Andre Trout from the Western Cape Police, who said to the BBC:

We don’t know what the motive for this was. Why did they kill the woman? They hijacked the vehicle but then they decided to leave the vehicle a few hours later, so they were obviously not interested in the vehicle itself.