PICTURED is Maninder Pal Singh Kohli, shaven headed, being paraded in front of the media after being captured in India yesterday.

The prime suspect in the murder of Southampton teenager Hannah Foster was arrested by police in a mountain village in West Bengal close to the India-Nepal border.

Flanked by officers, the 36-year-old sandwich delivery driver said: "I am innocent."

Kohli became the prime suspect having left the UK two days after Hannah's body was found dumped in a lane at West End in March 2003.

The arrest came in the wake of a visit to India by Hannah's parents, Hilary and Trevor, who had made an emotional appeal through the Indian media in the hope of tracking down Kohli. A telephone hotline had been set up.

In a hand-written statement read out to the media in Chandigarh where the Fosters are staying, and 2,000 miles away from where Kohli was arrested, Trevor said: "We have received the news about the arrest of Kohli. At this stage we are trying to keep our emotions under check till we confirm the identity of the person arrested by Indian police. We hope that it is true."

Det Supt Alan Betts from Hampshire Police was expected to fly to West Bengal today to meet Kohli and begin the extradition process. The arrested man was due to appear before magistrates today.

For more on the hunt for Maninder Pal Singh Kohli - see pages 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 of today's Daily Echo.