The hit-and-run fugitive who fled to India after allegedly killing a teenage nursing student has ended up in hospital after drinking poison as he fights extradition to Australia.
Puneet Puneet fled Australia for India nine years ago after he allegedly mowed down 19-year-old Dean Hofstee and seriously injured Clancy Coker, 20, in Melbourne while he was on his learner’s license in 2008.
The fugitive drank a bottle of poisonous insecticide Baygon and had his stomach pumped to save his life in hospital who is now in a serious but stable condition.
The hit-and-run fugitive Puneet Puneet (pictured) who fled to India after allegedly killing a teenage nursing student has ended up in hospital
Puneet Puneet fled Australia for India nine years ago after he allegedly mowed down 19-year-old Dean Hofstee (pictured) in Melbourne while he was on his learner’s license in 2008
‘My client is suffering from serious medical conditions and consumed poison last night. He is suffering from mental illness’, said Khaniya Kumar Singhal on Friday.
As the court heard the latest legal arguments in the case repeatedly had to ask the opposing lawyers to calm down.
During fiery exchanges between Mr Singhal and Bhaskar Vali, handling the extradition case for the Indian government, the defence claimed the case was ‘of political character’ and some of the lines of argument had been ‘inhuman’.
Judge Gurmohina Kaur sternly told them: ‘This is not how I expect two senior advocates to behave. Unless you can control your tone I will halt proceedings and you can go and have a cup of tea outside.’
Mr Vali implored the judge not be swayed by the defence claims, arguing that she alone had the remit to say whether the case was of political character or not.
‘We do not have a nefarious design to get Mr Puneet extradited’, he said.
‘He ran over someone then pleaded guilty, then ran away to his home country, breaking all trust. Any medical conditions put forward have to be viewed in the context of his previous conduct’, Mr Vali told the Patiala District Court.
The fugitive fighting extradition drank a bottle of poisonous insecticide Baygon and had his stomach pumped to save his life in hospital who is now in a serious but stable condition
At the time of the crash, Puneet was allegedly driving 148km per hour while under the influence of alcohol (Mr Hofstee
The defence said the trial caused their client to suffer from kidney conditions, that he had lost weight and felt he was being ‘persecuted not prosecuted’.
Mr Singhal said: ‘If doctors say he is not fit to face trial – then what?’
Puneet’s team has repeatedly claimed that the crime for which the Australian authorities are pursuing the case did not fall under usual extradition protocol ‘like rape or murder’.
At the time of the crash, Puneet was allegedly driving 148km per hour while under the influence of alcohol.
The then 19-year-old was charged with culpable driving and negligently causing serious injury, then bailed on strict conditions, including the surrender of his passport.
The Indian spent years on the run after using a fellow Indian’s passport to flee Australia in 2009.
Puneet was arrested four years later in India on his wedding day.
Hit-and-run cases could land an offender in jail for 20 years while in India it would only be a two year sentence.
The next hearing will be at the Patiala District Court on February 26.
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