Indian fugitive extradited to US after nine years

New Delhi, Jul 10 (UNI) Kamlesh Agrawal, an Indian citizen wanted by the Law Enforcement Authorities in Florida (US) for the murder of his niece, was extradited to the United States yesterday, nine years after the incident.

Agrawal is accused of murdering his niece, Deepa Agrawal, a 20-year-old American citizen, on July 11, 1999. He fled to India shortly after police discovered Deepa's body and a warrant for his arrest was issued by the State of Florida.

Upon receiving the arrest warrant for extradition from the US law enforcement, the Indian police located Agrawal and arrested him at a hotel in Mumbai in 2000. A magistrate's court approved of his extradition in 2002, citing "prima facie" evidence of the murder.

For the past eight years, Agrawal's return was delayed by judicial appeals.

A high court dismissed his final appeal in May 2008 and Agrawal was turned over to the US authorities for extradition.

Special agents based in India from the US Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and the US Drug Enforcement Administration escorted the fugitive to the United States to face trial for murder in Orlando, Florida.

''The US Embassy in New Delhi, the Government of India and the US Department of Justice have worked jointly for eight years to facilitate Agrawal's return to the United States to face justice,'' a spokesman of the US embassy said here today.

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