Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
International

Freed Of Murder Charge, British-indian Businessman Shrien Dewani To Return Home

IANS, 09 Dec, 2014 12:48 PM
    An Indian-origin businessman from Britain, Shrien Dewani is preparing to leave South Africa after a judge cleared him of arranging the murder of his wife on their honeymoon, media reported Tuesday.
     
    Dewani, 33, was accused of ordering the murder of his wife, 28-year-old Anni Dewani, who was shot on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010 during the course of their honeymoon, BBC reported.
     
    On Monday, Deputy Judge President Jeanette Traverso of the Western Cape High Court dismissed the case against him, after describing evidence from prosecution witnesses as "riddled with contradictions".
     
    Anni's family said they were heartbroken that the case was dismissed before Dewani testified.
     
    "We feel as a family that the justice system has failed us and we are deeply disappointed," Anni's sister Ami Denborg said.
     
    "We came here looking for answers and we came here looking for the truth, and all we got was more questions."
     
    "We would have preferred to have known about his secret sex life with male prostitutes and the activities he engaged in before he married Anni," Denborg said referring to Dewani's admission in court that he was bi-sexual.
     
    Judge Traverso said claims by the chief prosecution witness, cab driver Zola Tongo, about the murder were "riddled with contradictions", "highly debatable" and the evidence from the prosecution was "far below" the required threshold.
     
    Three men - Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and gunman Xolile Mngeni - have already been convicted for their part in the murder, which happened during a late-night tour of a township when their chauffeur-driven car was hijacked.
     
    Dewani was in South Africa as he was extradited from Britain in April to stand trial for Anni's murder.
     
    He faced five counts, including kidnapping, murder, and defeating the ends of justice, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them.
     
    He has maintained that he and his wife were the victims of a hijacking Nov 13, 2010.
     
    Dewani was thrown out of the car later that night and Anni's body was found the next day with a single gun shot wound on her neck.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    US Sikhs, Lawmakers Protest Basketball Ban On Turbans

    US Sikhs, Lawmakers Protest Basketball Ban On Turbans
    Two US lawmakers, including the lone Indian-American Congressman, have joined Sikh community groups in protesting the world basketball body FIBA's...

    US Sikhs, Lawmakers Protest Basketball Ban On Turbans

    Two US residents arrested for posting selfie with friend's corpse

    Two US residents arrested for posting selfie with friend's corpse
    In a bizarre incident, two US citizens were arrested for clicking a selfie with the corpse of their deceased friend who died of a likely drug overdose....

    Two US residents arrested for posting selfie with friend's corpse

    Terrorism a diplomatic asset: Fair is foul, foul is fair

    Terrorism a diplomatic asset: Fair is foul, foul is fair
    The ISIS threat has been around for months. Why was it not nipped in the bud? Obama’s response in the course of a conversation with Thomas Friedman...

    Terrorism a diplomatic asset: Fair is foul, foul is fair

    Political deadlock persists in Pakistan as army plays 'facilitator'

    Political deadlock persists in Pakistan as army plays 'facilitator'
    The talks between the government and representatives of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) failed to break...

    Political deadlock persists in Pakistan as army plays 'facilitator'

    Mysteries of space dust unlocked

    Mysteries of space dust unlocked
    A new analysis of space dust has revealed that the cosmic particles, wich are likely to have originated from beyond our solar system, are more complex in composition...

    Mysteries of space dust unlocked

    Pakistan government ready to file FIR against Sharif

    Pakistan government ready to file FIR against Sharif
    The Pakistan government Thursday said it was ready to lodge a first information report (FIR) against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, among others, in Lahore's Model...

    Pakistan government ready to file FIR against Sharif