Highlights
- Puneet was a 19-year-old international student at the time of the crash in Melbourne in 2008.
- He fled to India on a friend’s passport while on bail.
- Puneet's family reportedly claims he's gone missing ahead of another court hearing.
Puneet Puneet was on bail and awaiting his sentencing over the 2008 death of 19-year-old pedestrian Dean Hofstee in Melbourne when he fled on a friend's passport to India.
He was arrested by Indian police on his wedding day in 2013 and since has been fighting his extradition to Australia.
Ahead of his upcoming court hearing on Monday, The Herald Sun reported that Puneet has gone missing in India, according to his father Naresh Kumar.
'Puneet must be extradited to Victoria'
The Victorian government has called the reports ‘deeply concerning’.
Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said, “The Victorian Government is making urgent representations to the Commonwealth Government to express our deep concern and to verify these reports.
“We will continue to work closely with them and relevant authorities to ensure Mr Puneet is found and extradited back to Victoria as quickly as possible.
“Mr Puneet needs to return to Victoria to face the consequences of his actions, and we won’t rest until justice is served,” Ms Hennessy told SBS Hindi.
Puneet was a 19-year-old learner driver when he lost control and hit students Mr Hofstee and friend Clancy Cloker with his car in Melbourne in 2008.
Mr Hofstee died while Mr Cloker was severely injured.
Since his arrest in 2013, Puneet has been fighting his extradition to Australia.
The Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews on his visit to India made representations to Minister for External Affairs in India in January 2018 that Mr Puneet must be extradited to Victoria.
In June 2019, the Attorney-General wrote to the Federal Government urging them to intervene in this matter.
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