Irishmen wanted in murder hunt contact embassy

TWO Irishman wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of an English backpacker in India have contacted the Irish embassy in New Delhi after a nationwide alert was issued for their capture.

The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed the pair, named by Indian police as Adrian Breathnach and James Frank, contacted the embassy following the discovery of the body of British woman Anna Bartlett.

Embassy officials, in turn, have been in touch with police in the province of Himach Pradesh, north of New Delhi. The two have not yet been arrested.

If they are arrested and charged with the murder, it could be years before the pair are brought to trial, according to one Indian commentator. Suspects spend many years on remand.

The two, both described as being in their 30s, are wanted for questioning in connection with the death of the 25-year-old.

Her body was discovered in a river close to the town of Manali, a haven for western backpackers, many of whom are attracted by the free availability of drugs.

The owner of the guesthouse where Ms Bartlett was staying has told police he was woken late last Wednesday by one of the Irishman, who said the young woman died of a drug overdose. The Irishmen, a Nepalese national and guesthouse owner Lot Ram dumped the body in the river, police said.

A department spokesperson said one of the reported names was wrong, but refused to reveal which one. However, it is believed the suspect named is James Frank as police in Kullu, about 25 miles from Manali, said they knew Mr Breathnach, although he went by the name of Staines. “We knew him as Staines while his actual name is Adrian Breathnach,” said Deputy Superintendent Kushal Sarma. Indian police described him as a known drug runner who, they claim, travels to the area regularly to collect drugs for sale back in the west Indian resort of Goa.

The body of Ms Bartlett, also known as Hamilton, was found floating in the River Beas on Friday. It was first thought she committed suicide, but an autopsy revealed she died from serious head and other injuries.

She had been staying in the Negi guesthouse, where she was reported to have been seen in the company of the two Irishman and the Nepalese Santosh Bahadur. They had spent the evening smoking cannabis, say police. There are reports Mr Bahadur has since also been found dead, but they have not been confirmed.

Ms Bartlett gained notoriety in Britain a number of years ago when she was arrested and jailed for smuggling drugs into the Arab city state of Dubai. She was sentenced to life in prison, later reduced to 10 years. She was pardoned and released in June.