THE prime suspect in the killing of a Hampshire student was this morning due to try and launch his final appeal against extradition for questioning in the UK.

Counsel for Maninder Pal Singh Kohli was expected to file a final petition at India's highest court in a last ditch attempt to stop him being deported.

The former sandwich delivery driver from Southampton has been in a jail in New Delhi for the past three years while Hampshire police pursued the lengthy legal process to bring him back to the county for questioning over the death of Hannah Foster.

Today officers were said to be continuing to be on standby for news from the Supreme Court - the final place where any appeal can be lodged.

Charanjit Singh, Kohli's legal adviser, is understood to have approached the court yesterday but was going to try and officially file a petition before the bench of the chief justice KG Balakrishnan today.

Hannah died in March 2003 after being abducted as she walked home from a night out with friends. A post mortem examination revealed she had been raped and strangled.