THE Indian police chief leading the hunt for the suspected killer of Hampshire student Hannah Foster today promised: "We will catch him".

Deputy Inspector General Dinkar Gupta sent a message of confidence to the 17-year-old's family as officers continued inquiries in the Punjab - exactly 90 days after her murder.

Maninder Pal Singh Kohli became one of Britain's most wanted men after fleeing to India two days after Hannah's body was found dumped in a country lane.

The 35-year-old, whom Hampshire police have named as their prime suspect, remains at large nearly three months after Hannah was abducted, raped and strangled near her Southampton home.

Hampshire detectives have done everything possible to assist with the longed for arrest of Kohli but have no jurisdiction in India and must leave it to the authorities there to act.

Now one of the country's top police officers has given his word that the fugitive will be caught and brought to justice.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Echo, Dep Insp Gen Gupta, the Punjab police's head of intelligence, said: "We are trying our very best both overtly and covertly to locate Maninder Pal Singh.

"We are very hopeful. There is no doubt that we are able to do that. We have had more difficult challenges previously so I am confident he will be caught. We do hope that this will not take too much longer."

Dep Insp Gen Gupta, 33, who is based in the Punjab capital of Chandigarh, was unable to go into specific details about progress on the inquiry for police operational reasons.

More on this story in tonight's Daily Echo