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UK
Asian Voice - Saturday 25th December 2010
Rumour mills in overdrive: Separating facts from fiction
By Rupanjana Dutta
they were concerned that police were working too slowly, it has The British media has sensationbeen disclosed. But Private alised the tragic story of a detective Dave Miller asked British Indian Hindu boythem to wait till next morning, Shrien Dewani, who has lost his let police do the job and ring wife Anni, in a carjack in South back if she was not found. Africa. There have been a series It has also been reported (By of allegations on Shrien, that The Sunday Telegraph) that includes a planned murder claim Tongo’s aunt Nokwanda Sigaby the South African authorities, Tongo appeared to question why backed up by unproven eviTongo would have organised the dences given by a driver- Zola murder for so little money. Siga Tongo, who has been a part of Tongo said, “He was the most the actual murder and also link successful person in our family – ups with a previous murder of he had his taxi job and was Dr Pox Raghavjee, family friend doing extra work on the side too. of the Dewanis, whom Shrien Why would he do this for 1,000 has never met. rand? It doesn’t make sense and Max Clifford, Mr Dewani's we are sure something is not spokesperson and the lawyers right in the story.” continue to control all the comSunday Mail reports that munications with the media. A detectives want to examine a Dewani relative said, "What laptop computer that Anni Shrien is being put through as a Dewani was seen using two days grieving widower is beyond combefore she was murdered. South prehension. He is torn by the African police believe it could allegations made about his contain vital information that involvement in the murder." might ‘shed light’ on her relaShrien's profile on facebook tionship with her husband. Now continues to have a picture of the whereabouts of the laptop him and Anni, in white and red are not clear. Indian clothes, sitting together, The South African police embraced in love. Qudos to have so far been unable to sugShrien who despite of so much gest a motive – at least publicly – of pressure and allegations, has for why he might have wished to maintained his dignity, unlike have his wife murdered. the South African national comDetectives have in their possesmissioner, General Bheki Cele, sion CCTV images which they who openly condemned Dewani claim shows Mr Dewani having Shrien and Anni Dewani, during their wedding calling him a 'monkey'. meetings with Tongo before the Last week the latest allegawedding said, there was murder and then handing over a Shrien's wedding photograph, tions that were brought forward absolutely no tension between bag of cash three days after it. which was attended by friends against Shrien included a claim the couple. They appeared norBut the family point out that and family from all over the by a German born homosexual mal, happy, in love and looking at that stage Tongo was not a world, Shrien and Anni looked escort, who suggested that he forward to a blissful married life suspect and Mr Dewani was so content, wearing colour coorhad sexual relations with Mr paying him for dinated clothes, smilahead. Dewani three times- although on ing at each other, comdriving the couple A friend of the family's told the dates in question Mr Dewani pletely love struck. in the area. It has Asian Voice, "Which couple does has gathered evidence to show Both the Hindochas been alleged that not have differences amongst he was not in Birmingham or and Dewanis looked Mr Dewani had each other? Which couple does London where the encounters happy, dancing at the changed money in not fight? It is very normal to are alleged to have taken place. ceremonies and a Cape Town on the have disagreements. Being a The Sunday Telegraph, on stunning looking Anni black market at a married person myself, I can say, December 19th reported that took pictures with the pawnbrokers’ to it is usually the differences that Shrien is planning to sue family and friends. hide his payments makes a relation strong. Leopold for libel. The Every picture to the assassins. Sunday Telegraph tried But it transpires appeared to be a page to contact Leopold, but that changing straight from some he refused to comment. money in such fairy tale. Asian Voice has places is a comImages have also raised questions from the monplace. been released of Anni inception of this case Max Clifford, holding up a box conincluding the motive taining an Indian Anni and Shrien having their first dance, to the Hindi love song S h r i e n ' s 'Pehla Naasha' playing in the background during the behind the alleged murspokesperson has Barbie doll – a private wedding at Mumbai der of Anni, who neither told that media joke between the couhad any will, pre nuptial that the murder ple referring to agreement or any sort of allegations on Shrien are Dewani’s pet name for his bride. knew that the information in the insurance that could be ‘untrue’, ‘ludicrous’, ‘hurtful’ After almost two months of phone would have automatically of any material gain to and ‘ridiculous’. this dream-like marriage, a video backed up, but he needed to Shrien, after her death. Clare Montgomery QC, who footage of the couple's first speak to someone in the UK to They had chosen each dance was given to Asian Voice access it. is representing Dewani believes other and it was not an by Max Clifford on behalf the In fact Shrien had tried to he has been accused by "selfarranged marriage of any Dewani family. First Mrs call a mobile phone company confessed robbers and murdersort, so no dowry was Dewani danced for Shrien and and asked if experts could track ers desperate to escape a whole involved either. his wife Anni’s handset. The life sentence" and with "everythen both embraced each other, In fact, the pictures care-homes tycoon also made thing to gain and nothing to as they danced to the Hindi love and video released by strenuous efforts to obtain the lose" by implicating him in the song 'Pehla Nasha' playing in the Shrien's family recently killing. background. The minute-long registration number of the taxi show how much they Anni with the Indian barbie doll, a private See page 10 for our readers' compilation shows Mr Dewani driven by her abductors and were in love with each views on Anni and Shrien's and his new bride smiling and pleaded with police to deploy a joke between the couple referring to other, performing their tragedy. If you have any comlaughing together. (Please see helicopter in the search. Dewani’s pet name for his bride first dance together at ment, please send it to aveditorhttp://www.abplgroup.com/ima On 20th December, The their £200,000 wedding in ial@abplgroup.com. Differences do not indicate ges/shri_anni first dance.wmv to Daily Telegraph wrote that Mumbai, which was held on couples are unhappy with one check the couple's first dance). Shrien Dewani's family also 29th October at the Renaissance (Copyright of photographs: another or is not even a strong The family says it is further tried to hire a private detective Hotel. Max Clifford Associates) reason to kill each other." proof there were no marital hours after the carjacking in Relatives who had visited the problems which could have led which Shrien was killed because As Asian Voice went through Mr Dewani to have his bride murdered. The song which they were seen dancing to was from the 1992 Bollywood movie Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar starring Amir Khan, Pooja Bedi and Ayesha Jhulka. It is also understood that expert advice from ballistics and forensics experts commissioned by Mr Dewani’s defence team shows the single bullet which killed Mrs Dewani passed first through her hand and then into her neck, severing an artery. The post mortem also shows Mrs Dewani’s killer had at one stage grabbed her leg, suggesting she may have struggled and that the gun may have gone off accidentally. The evidence gathered by Mr Dewani’s legal team will be used in the British courts to try and block South Africa’s attempts to extradite the 30-year-old. The Sunday Mail reported that a family member told them that (Shrien) when dumped in a township late at night, knocked desperately on the doors of roadside shacks seeking help. A local man who found him described his distress, as did a policeman, who said he was ‘standing in the road crying and clearly in shock’. Both spoke of his desire to ‘ring the UK’ but did not know who he wanted to speak to. ‘He called us,’ said the relative, who does not want to be named. ‘His BlackBerry was taken in the robbery and he had the taxi driver’s number punched into it.’ The businessman apparently