A DECISION to extradite the prime suspect in the killing of Hampshire student Hannah Foster could be made today.

Magistrates at a court in India were due to announce whether Maninder Pal Singh Kohli should be deported back to Britain to face questioning over the abduction and death of the 17-year-old. It comes after government officials in the homeland of Maninder Pal Singh Kohli favoured he be extradited - more than four years after Hannah was found dead. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been raped and strangled.

It was 16 months after her death, in July 2004, when Kohli was found in the West Bengal area of the country and then arrested.

His capture came as Hannah's parents, Trevor and Hilary Foster, made an emotional visit to the country to raise awareness of the case and appeal for information of his whereabouts.

Since then he has remained in custody in an Indian jail and has made regular appearances before the courts, where he has challenged the bid by the Crown Prosecution Service to have him extradited.

Police believe the former Cantell School pupil was abducted just yards from her home in Portswood, after enjoying a night out with friends. Her body was found by the side of Allington Lane, West End days later.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Kamini Lau had reserved a decision on the extradition order during a previous court hearing on April 28.

They had delayed the decision to give former sandwich delivery driver Kohli a chance to respond to the recommendation by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The government body had recommended Kohli be deported because his conduct of disappearing to India, which led to him avoiding questioning and potential prosecution, made it appropriate he be extradited to the country where the alleged crimes took place.

But hopes of a decision being made today were being treated with some caution because of the repeated delays in the process since it began in September 2004.

Even if the right to deport Kohli is granted, the Daily Echo understands he still has the ability to launch an appeal at both the High Court and ultimately the Supreme Court in India.

Last night Hannah's mother Hilary said they were refusing to get their hopes up because of their knowledge of the Indian court system.

"We thought we were in this position a year ago. You can get so far but it only takes another application and everything is put back again. We were told to expect the decision by the end of May. We are just taking it all with a pinch of salt otherwise you end up back on this roller coaster of emotion."