Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
A Random Image
Maninder Pal Singh Kholi:

Indian murder suspect ‘posing as a holy man’

The Times of London, UK
July 14, 2004
Catherine Philp in Delhi
www.timesonline.co.uk

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 7848 • Posted: Wednesday July 14, 2004  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Maninder Pal Singh Kholi

The parents of the murdered British teenager Hannah Foster want Indian detectives to investigate claims that their daughter’s killer is posing as a holy man and hiding in a Sikh temple.

Miss Foster, who wanted to become a doctor, was abducted 500 yards from her home in Portswood, Southampton, after a night out with friends on March 14 last year. Her body was found two days later. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

As Trevor and Hilary Foster appeared at a televised press conference in Delhi yesterday appealing for help in finding her killer, Indian police publically blamed British officers for the failure to track down the prime suspect.

They say Hampshire detectives refused to tell them that Maninder Pal Singh Kholi, who lived about a mile from the student, fled to India shortly after the 17-year-old went missing.

By the time they were informed, Mr Kholi had left his family home in Punjab after allegedly being tipped off by his wife in Southampton that he was a wanted man.

The row between the forces comes as Hampshire detectives travelled with the Fosters to meet local police in Chandigarh, where Mr Kholi was last seen 16 months ago.

Senior detectives also scorned a claim by the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab parliament that Mr Kholi, 35, is being sheltered by a religious sect in northern India. He is said to have grown a long beard and disguised himself as a sadhu, or holy man. Police in Punjab received a tip-off six months ago that he was in a Sikh temple but, on raiding it, they found nothing.

The authorities have offered a £65,000 reward for Mr Kholi’s capture and the Fosters announced a new telephone hotline number.

Mrs Foster last night described the pain of the ordeal of visiting India but said they were determined to raise public awareness that their daughter’s killer was still on the run.

She said: “I’m glad we have come. It was so frustrating just sitting at home knowing Hannah’s killer was out there. We have had an amazing response here. It was beyond our wildest dreams. Everybody wants to help. They all seemed very interested in helping to find Hannah’s killer.

“We just need to have first-hand experience, to meet the Punjab police and the people investigating it and then we can make up our minds about what’s happening out here.

“I feel much better for being here. I absolutely doubted the whole thing. I thought I would be much too tearful and wouldn’t be able to get our message across, or be able to string a sentence together, but actually it’s done us the world of good coming out here.”

During their emotional press conference, Mr Foster repeatedly broke down.

Hampshire police have visited India twice, but their main suspect still cannot be traced.

Mr Foster said: “We know we are not from your country or your culture. Perhaps you are thinking: ‘Why should we help them to find this man?’ I believe the reason is because you, the people of India, have a strong sense of moral decency, and a strong belief in justice, just as we do.

“Every parent in India will feel our anguish at the cruel loss of our loved and loving daughter. Letting Kholi remain free, you may be putting your daughters at risk.”

Mann Singh, the Assistant Inspector-General of Punjab police, said “We have no concrete information about him disguising as a sadhu. He could be hiding anywhere as anyone.”


What You Can Do From Here

Read More Articles On These Topics
more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Find Related Information
cult research search enginecountercult information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





Counter Cult Search

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.


Apologetics Search

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine