Honeymoon accused can be extradited

The Bristol businessman, 31, is accused of ordering the car-jacking and shooting which left his new bride Anni Dewani, 28, dead in a taxi in Cape Town last November.

Dewani denies any involvement and has fought extradition proceedings, arguing that he is suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and is too unwell to be extradited.

His defence also spoke of the dangers of South African prisons and alleged abuse of process by the South African authorities.

But today the judge said the court “must consider the strong public interest in honouring our extradition treaty”, and passed the decision on to Home Secretary Theresa May.

Behind the glass in court room 3 at Belmarsh Magistrates, Shrien Dewani showed no emotion as he heard the Senior District Judge Howard Riddle agree to the South African Government’s request for his extradition.

For more than two hours he sat listening to the judge read out his 52 page judgement, looking down, sometimes closing his eyes, taking occasional sips of water, and glancing across at the press benches. He wore his now trademark dark fleece jumper and trousers, with stubble on his chin. He is a more diminished man than the one the public has grown used to seeing in the pictures of him on his wedding day.

At no time did he look to his left where, just a few feet away, sat his murdered wife Anni’s family the Hindochas.

On the other hand, throughout those two hours, Vinod Hindocha, Anni’s father stared long and hard at his former son-in-law. At times it appeared as if he had to remind himself to pull his eyes away and focus on what the judge was saying.

For the first time during the hearing, which has spread out over a week in May, another in July and now today, the Dewani family did not, however, sit on seats in the actual courtroom. Perhaps they had anticipated the ruling but they had removed themselves to the public gallery, upstairs and behind yet more glass.

Mr Riddle acknowledged the support Mr Dewani has received from his family and he also said that he believed that support would continue even in South Africa. But more poignantly, he spoke of the Hindocha family, who had once again travelled from their home in Sweden.

He said: “I have heard nothing about the victim’s family during this hearing, rightly so, although they have sat in quiet dignity throughout the proceedings. The court should not overlook their right to have the factual position determined as soon as is reasonable and fair to do so.”

And that too is how they feel. Throughout, even as they deal with their visible and heartbreaking grief, the family has been dignified, asking only that Shrien Dewani go to South Africa, help the authorities and stand trial. If he is innocent as he says he is, Mr Hindocha said once, then justice will be done.

Today, the judge agreed.

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