Coroner Rules Against Anni Dewani Inquest

There is no “sufficient cause to resume an inquest” into the death of murdered bride Anni Dewani, a coroner has ruled.

He was extradited from the United Kingdom in April previous year for facing trial for arranging the murder of his 28-year-old wife Anni Hindocha, who was kidnapped and killed during their honeymoon near Cape Town in 2010.

Taxi driver Zola Tongo and his two accomplices, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni, were jailed for their role in Mrs Dwani’s killing after pleading guilty.

In a letter to North London Coroner’s Court, he wrote that he still has a “significant number of questions that remain unanswered” about the night his wife was shot dead and that he “shared the frustrations” of her family.

They sent the Bristol businessman their list of queries through the coroner and hoped he would show up at Friday’s hearing.

Mrs Dewani’s family – who have also tried to sue their son-in-law due to his supposed sexuality – had asked for an inquest to resume, claiming there were still unanswered questions.

He maintained that he and his wife were the victims of a hijacking on November 13, 2010.

Instead of addressing the details of the 37 questions put to him, he called on those who linked him to her murder liars and said that the evidence given against him by the gang associated with her death has led to a witch hunt against him.

“It is clear that none of the evidence provided by these persons was corroborated in any meaningful way”.

He said: “The family’s primary preference would be for an inquest to proceed now”.

He added that if new evidence, beyond that which already exists, comes to light, it would be open to the family to write to the Attorney General and request that matters be reopened.

“The question that the family are desperately seeking an answer to is what happened between the time that her parents last spoke to her on the evening of the 13th, and the time that she was found dead the next morning in a vehicle”.

Speaking outside the hearing, her uncle, Ashok Hindocha, 55, said they still need questions answering so that they could “move on with their lives”.

In a direct plea to Shrien, he said: “Speak up, release the pain, this is not a legal court”.

He added that those responsible for his wife’s murder “need to answer questions have failed to do so in court and have not been brought to justice by the South African authorities”.

He says the family will look continue to look at their options.

A male escort named The German Master was a key prosecution witness but his evidence was ruled inadmissable.