“Stressed” Brit-Indian honeymooner fails to attend London extradition hearing

LONDON - Shrien Dewani, the Brit-Indian millionaire who has been accused of hiring a hitman to have his wife killed during their honeymoon in Cape Town last year, failed to attend a London court hearing as he was suffering from acute stress disorder.

The Daily Mail quoted the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London as saying that the judge had declared Dewani unfit to attend the hearing after a psychiatric report was produced before the court.

Dewani’s attorney, Julian Knowles, has claimed that the condition of his client is not good enough to be questioned about the incident.

Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle said he would review whether Dewani should attend the extradition case hearing against him on February 8.

The 31-year-old Indian born businessman, who is out on 250,000 pounds bail in Britain, is facing charges of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravated circumstances and obstruction of the administration of justice.

Watson said that the South African authorities believe Dewani conspired with others to make his murder ‘appear as if they had both been the victims of a random highjacking’.

Shrien’s wife Anni, from Sweden, was shot when the taxi in which the couple were travelling, was allegedly hijacked in Gugulethu, on the outskirts of Cape Town, in November last year.

Dewani has hired Taswell Papier, one of South Africa’s top lawyers, to give last-minute support in his fight against extradition.

“It’s all happened very suddenly. Mr Papier flew to London on Wednesday and today he is helping with the case of Dewani. He is extremely busy with the case and we are still waiting to hear from him regarding his specific role,” a spokeswoman for Papier said.

Dewani, of Bristol, claims he was forced out of the car and Anni was later found dead in the back of the abandoned cab. The couple’s driver Zola Tongo, given 18 years for murder, had earlier claimed that Dewani ordered the killing of his wife. (ANI)