The Hindu : National : `Punjab will facilitate extradition'

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Saturday, Jul 17, 2004

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National

`Punjab will facilitate extradition'

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, JULY 16. The Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, has assured Interpol and the Hampshire Constabulary of the U.K. that the State Government would co-operate fully and facilitate extradition of Maninderpal Singh Kohli, prime suspect in the murder of the British school girl Hannah Foster last year,

Kohli, who was held in Bengal on Thursday, is being brought to Punjab where a case has been registered against him. He belongs to Mohali, a satellite town near Chandigarh. A team of the State police led by an officer of the rank of Inspector-General has left for Bengal to fetch Kohli.

The Chief Minister told reporters that Kohli "must stand trial in the U.K. so that justice is delivered to the victim and her family."

Meanwhile, the Chief Investigating Officer of the Hampshire Constabulary, Detective Superintendent, Allen Brett, who reached Darjeeling from Chandigarh this morning, is said to have confirmed that the arrested man was indeed their most wanted fugitive.

Trevor and Hillary Foster, the parents of Hannah, in a statement here said: "Never in our wildest dreams did we expect an arrest to be made while we were in the middle of our short visit."

They the Indian media for the extensive and sympathetic coverage to their visit. "Most of all however, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Indian people... Your sympathy, understanding and support had given us great comfort and helped ease the pain of our tragic loss," they said.

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