Paperback: Anni: A Father's Story (2015) is a dad's heartbreaking account of his treasured daughter's life that was cut short in a horrific honeymoon murder.
On 13 November 2010, Anni Dewani was on a dream honeymoon in South Africa after celebrating the happiest day of her life, her marriage to handsome husband Shrien.
But the idyllic holiday took a dramatic and tragic twist when the couple were kidnapped at gunpoint as their taxi drove through a tough township near Cape Town. Businessman Shrien, from Bristol, was released unharmed by the captors but Anni was blasted at close range in the neck and died on the spot. Her body was found slumped in the blood-soaked back seat of the cab hours later.
When news of the horrific murder reached her parents they were hit by a double hammer blow - not only did they have to deal with the loss of their beloved daughter in the most brutal of circumstances, but police also told them one of the suspects behind the slaying was her husband, Shrien.
When Shrien called Anni's father, Vinod, right after her family were told of this horrendous news, he kept repeating the same words to his father-in-law: "Sorry, Dad. I could not take care of Anni." As apologetic and reassuring as these words were at this tragic time, it had loaded meaning. What was he trying to say to his late wife's father?
Why hadn't Shrien done something to protect Anni when he left the taxi and left her alone and scared?
After a long, drawn-out extradition process, Shrien was brought back for trial in South Africa, piling more agony on the victim's distraught family.
Why Anni? Why our family? Why did those evil people shoot her when she was so defenceless and the robbery had already taken place? They could have just released her. They could have pushed her out of the vehicle too. They had a gun, a loaded gun, and she was a girl who could not fight back. There was no need to shoot or kill her. It was an act of enormous cowardice and evil.
Anni: A Father's Story is an incredibly moving account of his daughter's life from her happy childhood through to the lavish wedding to Shrien that was meant to signal a new life for the 28-year-old Swedish-born beauty and the dramatic conclusion of her husband's trial in 2014.
Dad Vinod Hindocha recounts how his family struggled to cope with the devastating loss of Anni, how they saw their hopes for her future shattered in the blink of an eye at the hands of hitmen - for reasons which still largely remain a mystery - and their battle to see justice done. He also tells of their attempts to reconcile themselves with the court's verdict and of a future without their beautiful daughter whose life was so cruelly and inexplicably extinguished.
About the author: Shekhar Bhatia is a London born journalist who has been on the staff of the Evening Standard, Sunday Mirror, Daily Express, the Observer and the Sunday Express where he was Chief Reporter. He began his journalistic career at the age of 17 on the Waltham Forest Guardian in East London and worked in the old Fleet Street from the age of 22. Shekhar has produced documentaries for British and American TV companies on subjects such as the Oscar Pistorius shooting of Reeva Steenkamp for NBC and the BBC. He also helped produce Channel Four's Dispatches TV programme on Anni's death, entitled "Murder on Honeymoon."
Shekhar has spent four years on the murder story, working closely with Anni's family, who asked him to help them write this book. He describes himself as the "luckiest reporter in the world" for having had the opportunity to travel the globe meeting his heroes, including the late Nelson Mandela in his Presidential mansion while flying around Southern Africa on a private jet with the Prince of Wales. Shekhar has also reported from five World Cups including the most recent in Brazil and five Olympics.
In November 2014, he was named Journalist of the Year at the Asian Media Awards. He is a lifelong supporter of West Ham United, lives in London with his student daughter Chameli and is set to move to New York later in 2015 for work.
The Hindocha family have asked that all the proceeds due to the family from the sale of this book be donated to a charity in Anni's name.
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