Anni Dewani's murder - what could the motive be?

[Komondor]

I am aware that Shrien is innocent until proven guilty - but if he is proved guilty what are his motives?

From what I understand:

1. It is an arranged marriage (introduced by a cousin of Anni's), but not forced. It was up to the couple whether or not they married.

1. There is no life insurance on her life.

1. According to her father there was no dowry.

By all accounts she was a lovely person, and clearly very beautiful. Why would you want her killed on honeymoon?

May be it look weird for westerners but take a look at similar murders where the husband killed his wife for being impotent.

Story1: tinyurl.com/2dxh3lj
Story2: tinyurl.com/28pjlvy

Hilary20 - thanks for the links.

Regarding your comments on the links being shocking, we are used to murders in the press. I'm from a town called Oswestry, and in recent years there have been two different cases, where the father has been in money difficulties and has murdered his wife and daughter and then killed himself.

What is unusual about this case, is that after 11 days of marriage, it is rather unthinkable that you would want your wife killed.

I see you picked links to two wife killings in India, I'm sure you could find links to similar crimes throughout the world.

I think the bbc have been getting their tongues around their names just fine!!! We do have lots of people from different parts of Africa living in this country, you know!

Sorry OP, haven't read whole thread but I was thinking exactly the same thing myself.

I can imagine why it is in the SA authorities' interests to point the finger at him - they don't want bad publicity that might damage tourism.

But I also realise that on the balance of probabilities he probably was involved. I just don't get why he would need/want to resort to that. It doesn't ring true.

Hiring a high profile Publicists like max clifford made me suspicious secondly why fighting extradition to SA. If his conscience is clear enough he should not object to going to SA to clear his name. With time the truth will be review.

he's been given bail so hopefully, thats a good sign.

The emergence of the homosexuality theory is strange and it is hard to see how it ties in to the case at all. Can't see where that one is going at all - unbeknown to his wife, was there an unofficial Mr Dewani already sharing his life, were some of the bribes non-monetary perhaps. In any case, it appears to have backfired.

Impotency and homosexuality are two different things. A man can be complete straight and yet he can be impotent and a man can be gay and yet be potent. I can give you as many examples you want, murders like this happen often in India due to social Stigma. Mr. Dewani may be impotent(he don't have to be gay) and he hid this truth from his wife eventually Anne found out and embarrassed Dewani in a confused state committed this murder.

He is a wealthy man so murder for any monetary gain is ruled out.

If there are any difference in opinions between the couples they could have easily got divorced.

But getting divorced on the count of impotency is very bad for Dewani and that is what he tried to avoid and hence he planned this gruesome murder.

There can be no other reason to kill a newly wedded wife.

can't see any possible motive tbh

At what stage did Shrien become aware that Anni had no dowry attached to her? For how long had he planned the South Africa trip? Did he require her to sign a pre-nuptial contract before their 'state' wedding? And, for the South Africans accusing Mr Dewani of being English, he isn't. Yes, he is a caucasian, as Indians are in that group, but culturally he is a Hindu. Call him British if you must describe him as something, but Business is international. Dowry murders are not unknown in India by the way.

Thanks for your posts about SA, Endeavour, I've found them enlightening.

Could someone tell me why Western tourists want to visit the townships?

I would describe Shrien as English/ British, being born raised and educated in Britain, and of Indian origin.

I'm sure Anni's father said dowry's were not given in their caste, so surely Shrien would have known this.

I'd have thought he would be more likely to kill if he'd had a dowry, so he could keep the dowry money, and remarry for another dowry.

However, I dont understand these cultural matters, so you may well be right, and Shrien was angry with the lack of dowry.

I honestly have no idea why tourists sometimes what to go to the townships. Firstly they are rather dangerous, especially at night and secondly there are many other places in SA that you can see cultural heritage if that is whay you are after. People who live in the townships live in poverty most of the time and I cannot see what the appeal in seeing people suffer can hold. I am sure in England you have places where people who are living under the breadline reside as well. Would you want to go see that as a tour??

If Mr Dewani was raised in England, he may not have been aware that no dowry was forthcoming in Anni's caste. Reading reports in the Indian press of similar murders, it appears that nowadays dowry demands begin after the wedding ceremony and when parents don't stump up the cash, the brides get it. In some cases, this may be several years and small children later....All I can say is that from what I have observed of life, it is only really money that makes people kill. I don't think being outed as a homosexual is sufficient, many cultures are more than happy to be hypocritical. Particualrly when large sums of cash are involved.

Endeavour, I agree, most tourists to UK do not want to see Moss Side, Manchester or Glasgow East.

SueFox, I think you have given the most credible answer for a possible motive. As you say most killings are money related.

Oh purlease -of course Mr Dewani would have been 'accused' by SA of being english. He's not german or french or spanish is he? He's english born (I think) and bred and because of this our national courts are dealing with the with this part of this case. Shame some of his fellow countrymen don't think of him as enlgish (but that's another thread isn't it Suefox?).

Poor lovely girl is dead. Horrific. Yes, there are a few odd thing about this case but there are usually a few odd things about most murder cases and this very much muddied by the fact that this is a multi continent case.

I doubt the South African courts will conduct his trial on the basis of ethnic and religious caricatures.Thank goodness for that.

We will probably never know why Anni was murdered - it may have been opportunistic and it may have been to do with the husband for whatever reason. We don't know and we may never know but it doesn't take away from the fact a young lady was sadly murdered and the impact of that on all her loved ones.

And now the 'other woman' (an employee of his in Bristol) gets thrown in for good measure - it is getting really hard to keep up with - he has been described as impotent, homosexual and now a philanderer all in one week (not forgetting all the other labels).

I don't know this family obviously but have tons of British Indian friends. I don't know a single one who even mentioned the word dowry, let alone expected one when they got married. Please don't make assumptions about them like that.

That might happen in India in some places (I don't know) but I doubt very much it would have been an issue in a marriage between two Western families who are, it seems, pretty educated.

As for linking to stories about impotent men killing wives in India - that's ridiculous. People like this Dewani guy who were born and brought up here and are educated are a lot more like the wider population in the UK than villagers in India (and city people in India are not so different these days either).

This stereotyping of British Hindus as dowry bearing, honour killing types is way off the mark ime.

I do agree that this murder is not coz of dowry.

Hi "mychatnickname"
The guy who killed his wife is not some illiterate villager tinyurl.com/2dxh3lj he was an Manager in Infosys(one of the top IT company in the world).

Afterall everybody is a human being and feelings are same everywhere it doesn't matter whether you are westener or african or asian. Neither does money or education plays any role in a person's character.

Haven't you heard about well educated British Serial killers in the past?

This thread is taking a really strange turn!!

I just hope things get sorted out asap, my thoughts are with the family.

I also have many British Indian friends and in all my days have never heard the word dowry. It has no relevance.

No I agree an education does not make people immune from killing, the motive probably just changes.

2 women a week are murdered by their spouse in the UK alone.

There is a thread on MN attempting to list women, a sort of death toll

I think people should bear that in mind, and not be too shocked every time (yet) another woman ends up dead

Rycie your Fri 10-Dec-10 12:01:01 post was very insightful and illuminating. I think you're spot on.

I went to conference in LOndon, and a group of women there had just come back from the Congo, and they cited some of the crimes against women they'd come across there. One of the women in the group stood up and said that the violence she'd come across in Africa was exactly the same type of violence she'd seen used against women in the UK: just as heinous, just as systematic and deliberated. Violence against women- brutality, murder is endemic in all countries, and crosses all racial and socio-economic backgrounds

True Santasakura - I think the shocking factor here is that if he is guilty it means he planned this well in advance. Not many people go to such extents to wipe out their spouse.