Delhi HC rebukes Kohli for delaying his extradition process

Reserving the judgement on a review petition filed by accused Maninder Pal Singh Kohli against his extradition to the United Kingdom in Hannah Foster rape and murder case, the Delhi High Court today rebuked him for delaying extradition process.

New Delhi, July 26 : Reserving the judgement on a review petition filed by accused Maninder Pal Singh Kohli against his extradition to the United Kingdom in Hannah Foster rape and murder case, the Delhi High Court today rebuked him for delaying extradition process.

A bench comprising of Justice P K Bhasin and Justice Mukul Mudgal told Kohli that his review petition was an attempt to somehow delay the extradition process.

The Court also rejected Kohli's contentions that he would not get a fair trial in the UK as there is bias against Asian community.

Countering Kohli's arguments the bench questioned him that if there was any bias in the UK then why did he go there, he enjoyed the working condition there, so why is there a sudden fascination towards the Indian court.

Kohli had filed a review petition in the Delhi High Court challenging his extradition to the United Kingdom to face a trial in the case.

On July 6, Kohli's petition challenging his extradition to the UK was dismissed by the Delhi High Court.

The court had temporarily stayed the extradition of Kohli, a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), till it disposed of his petition.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kamini Lau had said that there was sufficient prima facie evidence to allow extradition of the fugitive criminal to the UK.

The court found it a fit case to extradite him. Kohli had been continuously evading arrest after the incident, till his arrest on July 14, 2004 at Kalimpong in West Bengal.

Hannah Foster's phone records which revealed that she had made desperate phone calls on police helpline numbers on the night of her murder on March 14 2003 were also taken into account by the court.

The court also took into account the scientific and forensic evidence submitted before it by the External Affairs Ministry which indicated the presence of Foster's blood sample in a delivery van of the Hazzelwood Food Company which was allegedly driven by Kohli.

Foster's parents visited India in February with the motive of expediting an early extradition of the accused to the UK.

Hannah's parents, Trevor and Hilary Foster, had also written to President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and former Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal to cut short the judicial delay.

Kohli, a truck driver in Britain, accused of abducting, raping and killing Hannah had fled the country two days after her body was found, but was nabbed from a remote village bordering Nepal.

Hannah's body was found on the outskirts of Southampton in March 2003.

ANI