June 8, 2007
Court Allows Kohli
Extradition,
but Says Don't Hang Him
New Delhi,
A Delhi court Friday cleared the extradition of "fugitive criminal"
Maninder Pal Singh Kohli to Britain to stand trial for rape and
murder of a British teenager with the stipulation that he be not
hanged if found guilty.
Ordering extradition of Kohli on a British plea, Additional Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate Kamini Lau ruled, "I hereby hold that there
is sufficient material to establish a strong prima facie case
against the fugitive, leading to an irresistible conclusion that
fugitive appears to have committed the offences of kidnapping, rape
and murder."
"The allegations against this fugitive is serious and this court is
under an obligation to ensure that the violator is put to trial and
the rule of law prevails," said Lau in her elaborate 110-page
ruling.
"It is hereby recommended that extradition of Kohli is possible. The
fugitive criminal, however, be extradited as per the international
covenant that no death penalty is imposed on him," ruled Lau.
Kohli is accused of raping and murdering the 17-year-old British
girl after kidnapping her on March 14, 2003 from a place near her
home in Portswood, Southampton, where she had gone on a weekend
picnic with her friends.
Hannah's body was found two days later and was identified by her
mother. An autopsy on her revealed she had been raped and strangled.
After committing the crime, Kohli came to India on the pretext of
seeing his ailing mother in Punjab. But after reaching here, he went
into hiding. He was eventually arrested July 14, 2004 at Kalimpong
in West Bengal and has been in custody since then.
According to the British prosecution agency, Hannah was waiting for
a bus to her home when she was dragged by Kohli into a refrigerated
van of a food company that he used to drive to deliver food material
to various places.
According to details mentioned in Lau's order, what sealed Kohli's
fate in the extradition proceedings was an elaborate system of Close
Circuit Television camera installed at various crucial locations and
intersections of British roads and a powerful mobile telephony
network of the country.
While CCTV captured the images of Kohli's van at various locations
at different given times, a mobile phone carried by Hannah gave her
exact locations at those crucial points of time.
Lau in her order noted that the various whereabouts of Hannah, as
determined from her mobile telephone, invariably coincided with the
locations of Kohli's van, caught on the CCTV camera.
Soon after Lau' order, Kohli raised the bogey of racial
discrimination against Asians in Britain.
He pleaded to the court to revoke its order. Otherwise, he would
have to die there.
With Lau not heeding to his plea, a bitter Koli remarked, "It's all
the power of UK pound."
"When our government cannot get Iqbal Mirchi (gangster) or musician
Nadeem extradited here from Britain, why are you sending me back
there," remarked Kohli in sheer exasperation, even though minutes
earlier he had looked relaxed.
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