Court allows extradition of Mahinder Pal Kohli to UK

New Delhi, June 8 (UNI) A magistrate today ordered the extradition to Britain of Mahinder Pal Kohli, the prime suspect in the kidnapping, rape and murder of 17-year-old British student Hannah Foster.

Kohli was arrested from Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district while trying to cross over to Nepal.

Kohli, born in Chandigarh, was a graduate from Patiala University and had migrated to England in 1993 and had settled there after marrying a British woman. He was working as a driver in a courier company.

He had left behind his wife and two children in England after allegedly commiting the crime and had escaped to India.

Consequent to Kohli's arrest, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Dr Kamini Lau was appointed as an extradition magistrate by the central government as per law.

The court observed that the police did not have access to any sample of the DNA of the accused. His wife had consented to DNA mouth swab being taken from her and her sons of whom Kohli is the biological father. Thus the forensic experts were able to infer a DNA profile of the fugitive from their DNA.

The court further stated the semen found on the body of the victim matched the inferred profile of the criminal.

The court held that there is sufficient material to establish that Kohli appears to have prima facie committed the ofences of kidnapping, rape and murder of the victim. The court recommended that extradition of the fugitive is possible, however since he is being extradited as per existing international convenant no death penalty can be imposed on him.

Kohli, after the order, stated before the court that he faced extradition proceedings for the last three years. He further stated that there exists absolute racism in England and he would not be given justice there. He further requested that his life, liberty and safety be ensured by the British government and he will not be racially discriminated against in any manner in the UK.

According to a statement from the British High Commission, the British police have thanked the Indian authorities for this ''positive development.'' UNI XC AB RP RS2018