Indian-origin husband ‘jailed for life’ for plotting to kill wife in South Africa

CAPE TOWN - In yet another case of a migrant woman’s murder in South Africa, her India-origin husband has been jailed for life after admitting to have killed his wife in a staged car jacking that appears to bear some similarities to the allegations against Brit-Indian honeymooner Shrien Dewani.

According to the Daily Mail, Rajive Sewnarain has admitted to have paid two hitmen 2,880 pounds to ambush his car in Durban and shoot his wife, Shanaaz.

The 42-year-old transport company boss was pushed out of the hired Hyundai Getz moments before the gunmen shot the mother of his two children twice in the chest and once in the neck, the court in Durban heard.

Sewnarain had earlier told police that an unknown man had attacked the car as he drove home in Durban on December 10 with his wife sitting beside him, adding that he pleaded for their lives but the hijackers pushed him out of the car and shot his wife.

He said that the couple were having a troubled married life and that earlier this month an underworld figure identified as ‘Boxer’ had approached him to offer to ‘take his wife out of his life’.

“He told me that I should take my wife to buy pizza and then drive to my workplace and give him a missed call. I would then drive down the road and, at an arranged spot, someone would jump into the car and this person would carry out the hit,” the paper quoted Sewnarain, as saying.

The case bears similarities to what police allege might have happened to Anni Dewani who was killed on honeymoon in Cape Town last month.

Her millionaire husband told police that he was forced out of the car unharmed by two gunmen before they killed his wife. (ANI)