MEENABEN Madhvani, matriarch of the Madhvani family, passed away in Kakira in Uganda in the early hours of Wednesday (29). She was the widow of Jayant Madhvani, the eldest son of Mulji Prabhudas Madhvani, an Indian-born Ugandan businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Uganda-based conglomerate Madhvani Group. A senior secretary to the conglomerate confirmed the news. Meenaben was 92 and had been ailing for a while. She is survived by her children Nitin and Nimisha, who is a diplomat.
“We regret to inform you the sad demise of Mrs Meenaben Jayantbhai Madhvani today morning at Kakira. She always loved the Jinja community and SDM temple. It’s a very big loss for the community and Madhvani family. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” Dhiren Mehta of Sanatan Dharam Mandir (SDM) Hindu temple in Jinja, Uganda, said in a message.
He also said a programme in honour of the late matriarch would be announced later, Ugandan news outlet Daily Monitor said.
Meenaben was of Indian descent from Tanzania who married Jayant in Mumbai (then Bombay), India, in 1950. Jayant died of heart attack in India 1971, just months after former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin launched an economic war that resulted in the expulsion of Asians.
Meenaben was known to defy Amin during the expulsion, refusing to leave their residence and her husband’s legacy irrespective of the consequences. It was only after her family pleaded that she relented and went to the neigbouring Kenya.
It was after the fall of Amin in the late 1970s that Meenaben returned to Uganda.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)