Murder charges for Irish men in India backpacker death dropped

THE elderly father of an Irishman arrested following the suspicious death of a young English backpacker in India said all charges have been dropped against his son.

Patrick James hopes his 46-year-old son, Frank, will be coming home soon, although he may have to remain in India to appear as a witness at the trial of a fellow Irishman accused of destroying evidence following the death of 25-year-old Anna Bartlett.

A murder charge against 40-year-old Tipperary man, Adrian Breathnach , is also likely to be dropped due to lack of evidence and motive, police in the northern province of Himachal Pradesh said.