Honeymoon murder: family friendship leads to second murder investigation
A bridegroom arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife has been linked to a similar killing in South Africa in 2007 due to a long-standing friendship with a family in Bristol.
Police in South Africa are investigating possible links between the shooting of Shrien Dewani’s wife Anni on their honeymoon in November and Dr Pox Raghavjee three years ago.
Both were killed by a single bullet to the head and the cars they were travelling in were not stolen after the attack.
Dr Raghavjee’s killer was never found – despite a 100,000 Rand (£9,000) reward - and his family voiced fears that he may have been a victim of organised crime.
Mr Dewani is currently fighting extradition from Britain to South Africa after he was implicated in his wife’s murder by Zola Tongo, the taxi driver they hired on the night of the shooting.
Police announced their investigation into any possible link between the two murders as it emerged that Dr Raghavjee’s daughter-in-law was born and brought up in Bristol and is an old family friend of Mr Dewani.
Alvita Raghavjee, a 30-year-old mother of two, went to school in Winterbourne, on the outskirts of Bristol and works as a travel agent for Thomson in the city.
Her parents Navin and Soomitra Manekporia live nearby and her father runs a blinds business, also in Bristol.
In 2002, Mrs Raghavjee married her husband Krischen, who grew up in South Africa with his parents Dr Raghavjee, mother Heather and two siblings.
Heather Raghavjee was asked to go to Cape Town to see Mr Dewani, his father Prakash and Mrs Dewani’s father Vinod in the wake of the killing in November.
She flew 650 miles from her home in King William’s Town soon after the murder.
At the weekend she said: “We went through a lot when my husband was murdered and we asked the question ‘why us’.
“But I got a lot of support from family members and people from all walks of life. We came to Cape Town to give support to the widower and his parents.”
She was accompanied by Peter Dhaya, from King William’s Town, who is also a close friend of Mr Dewani’s father Prakash.
Mr Dhaya said Mr Dewani’s parents had travelled to South Africa in December last year, but he did not know that Mr Dewani was in the country on honeymoon.
“When they came to this country they fell in love with it. It was such a wonderful moment when we hosted them, not knowing that the second time we would meet would be in this tragic way.”
Max Clifford, Mr Dewani’s spokesman, said claims of a link between the two deaths were “farcical” and that his client denied any involvement in either killing.
“Heather’s daughter-in-law is a friend of the Dewani family and she has been for some time,” he said.
“She asked her mother-in-law to comfort them and she flew down to see Shrien, his dad and father-in-law to give them comfort from someone who has gone through it.
“It was a lovely gesture and thought and one that was appreciated.
“Because of that, sadly, Shrien is linked to the murder. That is enough for (the authorities) to come up with another farcical story.
“He has never been to South Africa before and that was proved in the extradition proceedings.”
Dr Raghavjee, a 60-year-old GP, was on his way home in King’s William Town, when he was carjacked and murdered in November 2007.
Robbery was ruled out as a motive after his mobile phone, 500 Rand (£45) in cash and watch were left at the scene.
Peter Shaya, a friend of the Raghavjee family, said in 2008: “It shows that it was a well organised crime because these people left no clues behind."
Yesterday, Captain Thozama Solani, King William’s Town police spokesman, confirmed that Dr Raghavjee’s case was being looked at again.
“We can confirm that the investigations are on again in the case of Dr Pox,” said Solani.
Police announced their investigation into any possible link between the two murders as it emerged that Dr Raghavjee’s daughter-in-law was born and brought up in Bristol and is an old family friend of Mr Dewani.
Alvita Raghavjee, a 30-year-old mother of two, went to school in Winterbourne, on the outskirts of Bristol and works as a travel agent for Thomson in the city.
Her parents Navin and Soomitra Manekporia live nearby and her father runs a blinds business, also in Bristol.
In 2002, Mrs Raghavjee married her husband Krischen, who grew up in South Africa with his parents Dr Raghavjee, mother Heather and two siblings.
Heather Raghavjee was asked to go to Cape Town to see Mr Dewani, his father Prakash and Mrs Dewani’s father Vinod in the wake of the killing in November.
She flew 650 miles from her home in King William’s Town soon after the murder.
At the weekend she said: “We went through a lot when my husband was murdered and we asked the question ‘why us’.
“But I got a lot of support from family members and people from all walks of life. We came to Cape Town to give support to the widower and his parents.”
She was accompanied by Peter Dhaya, from King William’s Town, who is also a close friend of Mr Dewani’s father Prakash.
Mr Dhaya said Mr Dewani’s parents had travelled to South Africa in December last year, but he did not know that Mr Dewani was in the country on honeymoon.
“When they came to this country they fell in love with it. It was such a wonderful moment when we hosted them, not knowing that the second time we would meet would be in this tragic way.”
Max Clifford, Mr Dewani’s spokesman, said claims of a link between the two deaths were “farcical” and that his client denied any involvement in either killing.
“Heather’s daughter-in-law is a friend of the Dewani family and she has been for some time,” he said.
“She asked her mother-in-law to comfort them and she flew down to see Shrien, his dad and father-in-law to give them comfort from someone who has gone through it.
“It was a lovely gesture and thought and one that was appreciated.
“Because of that, sadly, Shrien is linked to the murder. That is enough for (the authorities) to come up with another farcical story.
“He has never been to South Africa before and that was proved in the extradition proceedings.”
Dr Raghavjee, a 60-year-old GP, was on his way home in King’s William Town, when he was carjacked and murdered in November 2007.
Robbery was ruled out as a motive after his mobile phone, 500 Rand (£45) in cash and watch were left at the scene.
Peter Shaya, a friend of the Raghavjee family, said in 2008: “It shows that it was a well organised crime because these people left no clues behind."
Yesterday, Captain Thozama Solani, King William’s Town police spokesman, confirmed that Dr Raghavjee’s case was being looked at again.
“We can confirm that the investigations are on again in the case of Dr Pox,” said Solani.
