London:
The Scotland Yard has posted a 10,000 pound reward for an Indian-origin suspect as part of a fresh appeal in a 10-year-old murder case of a compatriot. Sukhdip Singh Chhina is believed to have been at the scene when Falwinder Singh Badesha was stabbed to death in south- east London on September 21, 2005.
The area of appeal for the 33-year-old suspect has also been extended to Amritsar in Punjab, where four men living at the same London address at the time of the murder were visiting from.
"Somebody knows where Chhina is. I appeal to anyone who knows his whereabouts to contact us immediately. Your call could help remove a murderer from the community, or may even eliminate a suspect from police enquiries. All information is treated in the strictest confidence," said Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn, from the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC).
"I believe that Sukhdip Singh Chhina has information that is vital to our investigation, or he may even be responsible for the murder. I am confident that we will eventually catch up with him, for this reason I urge Chhina to come forward and speak with us now rather than continue to delay the inevitable," he said.
The 10,000 pound reward is payable for information that leads to a successful prosecution of the suspect.
Detectives believe Badesha, 27, was stabbed after an argument broke out about keeping the house tidy.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem examination confirmed he died of stab wounds. Chhina is described as an Asian man, 5ft 9ins tall, with short dark hair.
When he left the house on the day of the murder, he had a cut on his forehead and wore brown shoes, dark trousers and a coloured checked shirt. He may also have carried a plastic bag.