London: The family of Anni Dewani, the bride who was shot dead in a carjacking while on honeymoon in South Africa in 2010, have expressed their dismay that her husband, Shrien Dewani, has seen fit to post loving pictures of himself with his new Brazilian boyfriend.
Shrien comes from a wealthy Gujarati family in Bristol, while Anni Hindocha grew up in Sweden. Although Shrien, now 38, claims he had been bisexual for many years, he pursued Anni with expensive gifts and a romantic trip to Paris and married her in a lavish wedding ceremony in Mumbai.
Their honeymoon in South Africa ended in tragedy when their taxi was carjacked late at night in a South African township. Shrien was ejected from the vehicle while the body of 28-year-old Anni, who had been shot but not sexually molested, was discovered the following morning. Shrien flew back to Britain, spent time in hospital for mental shock, but was eventually forced to return to South Africa in 2014 to face trial for complicity in his bride's murder.
The allegation, backed up by testimony from the hitmen he had apparently hired, was that he wanted Anni silenced because she had threatened to expose his hitherto secret life as a homosexual.
At the onset of the trial, Shrien's lawyer admitted his client had had previous relationships with men and had hired male prostitutes. The judge ruled Shrien's sexuality was not relevant and, exasperated by conflicting and confusing evidence from the hitmen, threw out the case.
Shrien flew back home to Britain a free man. For four years he maintained total silence. But last week the Daily Mail, which has developed a trusting relationship with Anni's family, pounced on Shrien when he posted affectionate pictures of himself with his boyfriend of 18 months, Brazilian photographer Gledison Lopez Martins.
The couple are now said to share a London flat, and the Brazilian has apparently even been accepted by the Dewanis, a conservative Hindu family who run nursing homes.
Anni's father Vinod Hindocha told the paper: "I am not against gay people in any way at all. Just this man.
"He has been to Mumbai with his boyfriend and that hurts us greatly. That was the place that Anni married him. I would have thought that he would keep that place in his heart especially for that memory." Anni's father insisted his daughter would never have married Shrien had she been aware of his sexuality.
Hindocha went on: "He kept his gay secret from my daughter and from her family. How could he have had it in his heart to do that? It was an utter disgrace." Anni's uncle Ashok said: "Shrien still hasn't made time to sit down and talk with us. My brother Vinod deserves to hear from his son-in-law and about how he's been able to move on.
"We accept he did not murder Anni, but he lied to us and had a very secret gay life. He owes us an apology for his lies."
Bearing in mind same sex couples are now allowed to marry in UK, the Mail added: "In the court of public opinion, some will wish them (Shrien and his new partner) well in their relationship. They will say Dewani, having been found not guilty by a court, ought to be left to rebuild his life as he pleases. Others will take a different view.
"Whatever one's opinion, however, it is undeniably tragic that Shrien Dewani didn't meet the man of his dreams, and settle down openly with him, before embarking on the romantic charade that ended when his honeymoon bride was shot in that God-forsaken township."
