An Indian man accused of rape and murder in the UK 10 years ago is set to be extradited from India to face charges in Britain, according to a media report.
Aman Vyas, 34, is believed to be in custody in India before he is flown to London to face trial over the murder of Michelle Samaraweera, a 35-year-old woman found dead in a children’s playground in Walthamstow, east London, in 2009, the Sunday Mirror reports. It is believed she was sexually assaulted.
Vyas, described as the son of a wealthy Indian businessman, had been living in the UK on a student visa at the time and is also wanted for questioning over three other alleged sexual attacks, which also occurred in the east London area before the murder of Samaraweera.
He left Britain to live with relatives in India after a warrant was issued for his arrest by Scotland Yard.
He was arrested at Delhi airport in 2011 while trying to board a flight to Thailand and was released on bail. He has since been fighting extradition to the UK and has appeared in court multiple times in India since.
"I'm delighted my sister will finally get a trial after all these years," Ann Chandradasa, the sister of Michelle Samaraweera, told the newspaper.
Last year, local Walthamstow Labour MP Stella Creasy, on behalf of the victim's family, had urged the then prime minister Theresa May to raise the case with prime minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the UK in April 2018 in an attempt to speed up the extradition.
