Murder suspect extradition hearing delayed

The extradition hearing of an Indian man said to be the prime suspect in the rape and murder of a British girl was delayed today as the court waited to see if additional evidence could be presented.

Hannah Foster, 17, was abducted near her home in Portswood, Southampton, on March 14, 2003.

Her body was found two days later and a post-mortem showed she had been raped and strangled.

Maninder Pal Singh Kohli, an Indian citizen then living in the UK, fled to India shortly after he was identified by British police as the prime suspect. He was arrested in India in 2004.

Extradition proceedings have been going on since September 2004.

An official from the British High Commission in New Delhi said the hearing was delayed because the judge was waiting for the verdict of separate court hearing to see if fresh evidence could be presented in the case.