THE hunt to find the killer of Southampton teenager Hannah Foster has turned to India. Hampshire police have a prime suspect, but they find themselves frustrated spectators, reliant on police in the northern Indian state of Punjab to track down Maninder Pal Singh Kohli. The Echo reports on how the investigation is going...
THE MAN leading the hunt to bring the prime suspect in the Hannah Foster murder inquiry to justice has poured cold water on claims that police may never catch him.
Detective Superintendent Alan Betts remains confident that Maninder Pal Singh Kohli will eventually be caught amid allegations that Hampshire police were slow in passing on details to the Indian authorities that he was wanted in connection with Hannah's murder.
He said: "I'm genuinely positive. I don't know how long it will take but I'm confident they will get him.
"I hope to be going out to India to go to the extradition hearing to bring him home.
"All the things I've seen of the Indian police is that they do know what they are doing. They are getting a lot of support from us. I'm hopeful that it is just a matter of time.
"It is frustrating. Obviously I would be much happier leading the hunt for the man but sadly he is in India and I've got no police authority over there."
Det Supt Betts' comments come just two days after the Daily Echo revealed Indian police chiefs were negotiating a reward for information in the hunt for Kohli.
Yet a leading crime reporter at the Indian Express newspaper, Aman Sharma, claimed on television last night that no one in the Indian police is currently in charge of the investigation. He even suggested that the investigation never even began in the Punjab, where it is understood Kohli flew to.
Mr Sharma believes Kohli would only be found if he decided to give himself up and suggested that the Indian police in Chandigarh did not receive a photograph of the man they were meant to be hunting until only very recently.
Speaking to Meridian Tonight, Mr Sharma believes Kohli was best protected by the British authorities' delay in passing information to the Indian police.
He told the Southampton-based network: "When they (Hampshire police) came to India, the first thing they should have done was to inform the local police, at least on an unofficial level, that they are looking for this guy.
"And would you believe the local police don't even have a photograph of Maninder Pal Singh Kohli. They probably would not even have it until now. It was broken by the paper, a newspaper character photograph."
It is believed Kohli left the family home in India after someone telephoned him to say he was wanted by Hampshire police. One theory circulating is that Kohli could have left via an airport in neighbouring Nepal.
Mr Sharma explained: "One possibility is that he could fly out of Nepal because at Nepal Airport the security checks are very vulnerable. It is very much possible he could have escaped out of Nepal."
The deputy director general at Dehli's powerful Central Bureau of Investigation, Aran Gupta, revealed there had been no developments. He was quoted by Meridian as suggesting: "I am not very hopeful he will be found. There are no developments."
That claim was countered by Senior Supt Gurpreet Bhullat of the Mahali police who said: "He could be anywhere. When we learned he was wanted by the police there (in the UK), naturally he left home. He could be working or hiding anywhere. We are putting all our sources of surveillance and intelligence together to catch him.
"It's not very difficult, we are very hopeful that we will catch him."
But the Indian Express's Aman Sharma found it hard to believe that anyone is taking the investigation seriously.
He said: "I don't think any official of the Punjab police or the India police is in charge of this investigation right now.
"I believe the investigation never began.
"It's only if he gives up himself, I believe that there isn't any chance of him being brought to book. I don't think his arrest is possible, only his surrender is possible."
Back in Hampshire, Det Supt Betts admitted he was surprised by reports from the Punjab casting doubts on hopes of finding Kohli. He said he had only recently spoken to a senior police officer there by telephone, and they remained confident the suspect would be found. "He thinks it will only be a matter of time and he is happy with the progress they are making."
Det Supt Betts added: "I can assure you we are forwarding all out intelligence direct to the police in Chandigarh and to Interpol at the same time.
"We are also having regular telephone communication with the senior officers in Chandigarh. I can't obviously dictate the procedures they follow.
"We are looking to extradite an Indian national from India. It is up to them to decide what tactics they want to use. It may be that at the moment the best tactics they have got does not involve briefing the troops on the ground."
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