Chandigarh: In a new twist to the rape and murder case of a British teenager, prime suspect Maninder Pal Singh Kohli today (Aug 18, 2004) retracted his confessional statement made before electronic media saying it was "not by my own will".

"The purported confession by me before media in the presence of Punjab police officials recently was not by my own will," he told a group of advocates pleading his case in the presence of reporters in the court premises in Chandigarh.

Kohli, who was allowed by Chief Judicial Magistrate Paramvir Nijjar to be interviewed for ten minutes by his advocates, said he had surrendered before the West Bengal police after being persuaded to do so by his father-in-law and was not arrested as was being reported.

He alleged "he was kept in illegal custody for some 12 days by West Bengal police before showing his formal arrest."

The judge extended his judicial custody till August 25.