Cape Town - Anni Hindocha's cousin recorded a meeting with Anni's husband Shrien in 2010 because she was suspicious of his role in her death and wanted answers, she told the Western Cape High Court on Monday.
State witness Sneha Mashru told prosecutor Shareen Riley that she and Anni's parents met Shrien and his brother in London a few days after the funeral in November 2010 to clear the air between the families.
She borrowed a dictaphone and placed it in her jacket to secretly record the conversation for her own record.
She felt that the things he had told her about his and his wife's hijacking in Cape Town did not add up.
He also did not come across as someone who was grieving her loss and his behaviour made her suspicious.
Dewani is accused of the murder of his wife during their honeymoon in Cape Town in November 2010. He has pleaded not guilty to the five counts against him, maintaining that the couple were the victims of a hijacking on November 13, 2010.
The State alleges that he conspired with others to stage the hijacking and paid them R15 000.
Anni's slumped body was found in their abandoned shuttle taxi in Khayelitsha the following day.
During the meeting, Shrien told them that Anni had fought for her handbag, which they found strange because they knew she would have handed it over.
He said she had his cellphone in the handbag and never mentioned money in the bag.
Mashru decided to go to the police a week after the meeting because she knew he already had one broken engagement, which was taboo in the Hindu culture.
“Also, if Shrien would get a divorce with Anni a week after the marriage, that would look bad for any Hindu family in society, especially the Dewanis because I knew the Dewani name meant a lot to them. That would be considered shameful to the Dewani name,” she said.
She handed over text messages and e-mails between herself and Anni, as well as her cellphones, one of which Anni used, and her laptop.
She also made a statement in January 2011.
Mashru told the court that she and Anni had shared the same Hotmail and Facebook passwords. She could not access Anni's accounts because she was told Shrien's brother or sister had changed the passwords.
Riley asked whether Anni ever took any medication.
Mashru replied that Anni got acne before her wedding and took a double dose of very strong prescription medicine to get rid of it.
She knew Anni had to use double contraception for at least a month after taking the medication because it was so strong.
Sapa