5/3/2003 9:39:18 AM

A three-member team of the Hampshire police and a group of journalists from the UK are here to look for Maninderpal Singh Kohli, wanted by the Scotland Yard in a rape and murder case. This case has been in the headlines since March 19. Maninder, as reported in The Tribune on April 11, had come to Chandigarh to visit his mother, who has been in coma since December last year. He came here on March 19 . Though his family maintained that he got a telephone call on March 29 and decided to return to England immediately, there has been no trace of him since then. It may be mentioned that Maninderpal Singh is suspected to have murdered 17-year-old student Hannah Foster and allegedly fled from London a day after her body was discovered in Southampton. Hannah was not seen after March 14. The visiting policemen and journalists, however, feel that Maninderpal Singh has been hiding in India and had not return to England on March 29 as claimed by his brother, Mr Ishtpal Singh Kohli, a constable in the intelligence wing of the Punjab police. Detective Superintendent Alan Betts, Detective Sergeant Jim Park and woman police constable Kim Ghali are expected here either on Sunday or Monday morning. At present, these police officers are in Delhi. Though the Scotland Yard had requested Punjab police through Interpol for help in nabbing the suspect, the long-drawn procedures reportedly came in the way before decks could be formally cleared for the arrest and immediate extradition of Maninderpal Singh Kohli. On their arrival here, the British police officers are expected to meet the CBI officials here before holding a meeting with the crime wing of the Punjab Police. The British police officers are also expected to hold a joint press conference with Punjab police officials on Tuesday where they may release the pictures of Maninderpal Singh Kohli and reveal some evidence suggesting his involvement in the case. “It is an international story,” remarked Jamie Pyatt, Correspondent of The Sun, holding that “Hannah was a highly talented girl.” Her funeral was held only a few weeks ago. All visiting British journalists and representatives of TV channels were also trying to establish contact with the family of Maninderpal Singh here. The family originally belonged to Patiala where the mother of Maninderpal was a teacher. One brother of Maninder is an engineer posted at Rajpura. The Kohlis have a flat in Sector 44-D but they have moved to the vacant house of a relative in SAS Nagar. “We had to shift there because of my mother,” Ishtpal had told The Tribune last time.