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Murder accused Shrien Dewani's extradition hearing in July

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Press Trust of India London
Extradition proceedings against Indian-origin UK businessman Shrien Dewani, accused of planning his wife's murder, will begin here from July 1.

A London court had resumed hearings in the case after an improvement in the mental state of Dewani, who is accused of plotting the murder of his wife Anni during their honeymoon in South Africa in 2010 and is wanted there to stand trial.

"The case has been moved for a full hearing from July 1 and is scheduled for five days," a Westminister Magistrates' Court spokesperson confirmed after an initial hearing today.

The 33-year-old, who is being treated at a hospital in Bristol for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), had been excused from court attendance on health grounds.
 

The prosecution had informed the court last month that his mental state had improved and extradition proceedings, halted by the High Court on health grounds back in 2011, can be resumed.

The hearing in July is expected to be divided between two sessions - one to consider Dewani's health and the other to evaluate conditions inside custodial units in South Africa where he is likely to be held if extradited to the country.

Dewani's 28-year-old wife Anni was shot when a taxi in which she and her husband were travelling was hijacked in Gugulethu, Cape Town, in November 2010.

He was later arrested by British police.

The care home owner from Westbury-on-Trym, a suburb of Bristol, denies any involvement in his wife's murder and has always maintained he wants to go back to clear his name.

In September 2011, Home Secretary Theresa May had approved an extradition order for him to face trial in South Africa before it was halted by the High Court in London on mental health grounds.

Mziwamadoda Qwabe, referred to as the "Honeymoon Killer", had pleaded guilty to Anni Dewani's murder and was sentenced to 25 years in jail for shooting Anni, in Cape Town last August.

Taxi driver Zola Tongo was sentenced to 18 years in prison following a plea bargain as part of which he alleged he was approached by Shrien Dewani, who offered him about USD 2,100 to organise the killing and make it look like a carjacking.

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First Published: May 15 2013 | 8:30 PM IST

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