NEWS: Death and Deportation

By MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
11 January 2010

THE Edinburgh family of an Indian man have yet to hear whether he will be deported to India in connection with an investigation into a murder two years ago.

As reported in the Evening News, a senior Indian police officer has indicated that they wish to question Pawan Bhardwaj again in connection with the death of Michael Blakey, 23, who was killed while working for Edinburgh-based charity Tong-Len in Dharamsala in November 2006.

Dharamsala Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dinesh Sharma, said: "We have approached Scotland Yard to deport Indian Pawan Bhardwaj to India so that he could be re-examined."

Mr Bhardwaj now lives in Edinburgh with wife Rachel Owen and their three children. He had previously been questioned and released by Indian police.

However, Mr Bhardwaj's mother-in-law, Tong-Len founder Anna Owen, said the family had yet to receive any official notice of the request for deportation and reaffirmed their belief in his total innocence. Mrs Owen, of Corstorphine, said: "I was not aware of this request and had heard nothing more about the investigation since the inquest last July.

"I have no doubts whatsoever as to Pawan's innocence. He co-operated fully with the police in India at several stages during the investigation. The family returned to India in October 2007 and only returned to the UK in June 2008 for the birth of their third baby.

"It was planned for them to return to the UK some months earlier, but Pawan himself insisted on staying in order to be available to help the police when the investigation was reopened in early 2008. No evidence has ever been found to link him to Michael's death."

Two post-mortem reports - one conducted in India and the second in Britain - found Mr Blakey died from extensive head injuries and strangulation.

One theory was that the devout Christian was murdered by a thief who robbed him of his mobile phone and credit cards. The phone was later found at a shop in Ludhiana, about 100 miles south of Dharamsala. The shopkeeper was questioned and released and police started looking for the man who sold him the phone.

The investigation into Mr Blakey's killing was reopened last July after UK police asked colleagues in India for help.

Although the family have received no official notification of the extradition request, Mr Bhardwaj would not necessarily be informed of the request in advance of an extradition warrant being executed. A spokeswoman for the Home Office said they cannot comment on, nor can they confirm or deny, any extradition request they receive from abroad.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police, which executes all extradition requests made by countries outside of the EU, said they have yet to receive an official approach regarding Mr Bhardwaj. She added: "Our extradition unit have no knowledge of this request and no warrant has been issued at this time."