London: The Scotland Yard plans to send a team of six detectives to India this week to trace a suspect in a murder case who reportedly fled from Britain to Punjab.

Maninder Singh, suspected in the murder of 17-year old student Hannah Foster, allegedly fled from London a day after her body was discovered in Southampton, according to Scotland Yard. Hannah vanished after the night of March 14.

Detectives identified Singh as a "strong" suspect following a tip-off as a result of a nationwide television appeal on BBC's Crimewatch UK programme.

The 35-year old Singh is thought to have caught a flight from Heathrow to Punjab, where his mother lives.

A day after the murder, he failed to turn up for work at Hazlewood Food Services in Southampton, detectives said. He went missing four days later leaving behind his wife and two children.

Investigators have refused to answer questions whether they have established any DNA evidence to aid the probe.

The teenager had reportedly told friends that she had been approached at least on two occasions by an Asian man who called her by name, prompting fears she was being stalked.

Police have confirmed that Hannah was raped but said there were no physical signs of a sexual assault. Murder Squad detectives are currently liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service, Interpol and other agencies to locate Singh, and if necessary they will try to extradite him to Britain.

Singh reportedly had rows with his wife and owed money for gambling debts, said investigators, who also interrogated Singh's wife on his movements. The couple recently sold their flat - just 200 yards from where Hannah was last seen alive -and were planning to start life afresh in India.

PTI