Lawyer for runaway killer driver Puneet Puneet says Australians are racist

Killer driver Puneet Puneet says abuse endured by Indian cricketers is proof that it would be wrong to extradite him back to Australia.

Runaway killer driver Puneet Puneet has vowed to front up to court next month as his lawyer said abuse directed towards Indian cricketers during the Third test proved Australians were racist.

“I am once again asking this court to consider that my client will not be safe in Australia,” Puneet’s defence lawyer Kanhaiya Kumar Singal told the judge in New Delhi’s Patiala House court where Puneet has been contesting his extradition to Australia since 2013.

“(The) world witnessed that recently our national cricketers were hurled racial slurs in Australia while playing cricket.

“In such an atmosphere how will my client be safe?”

During the recently concluded Test series between India and Australia, two Indian players faced alleged racial slurs from the stands due to which the third test in Sydney faced a brief halt in the fourth day’s play.

Later some spectators were expelled from the ground.

Puneet has been trying to avoid extradition for years.

The incident sparked widespread condemnation from cricket lovers and players in Australia, India and elsewhere.

Talking to Herald Sun, Puneet’s defence lawyer said: “I hope (the) court won’t ignore this incident” and give due justice to my client”.

Puneet didn’t appear in court.

He has used many excuses to defer the extradition hearing, including claiming he had an “unbalanced mind”.

He also briefly disappeared from his home in the Indian city of Chandigarh.

Mr Kumar assured the court that his client would be present at the next hearing on February 18 when it will hear the final arguments from the Union of India lawyers.

He said technical problems including a computer server issue stifled Puneet attending the most recent hearing via video link.

“There was some confusion regarding his appearance today,’’ Mr Kumar said.

“Firstly the court in the morning said they will take the virtual hearing and then the server issue faced the physical hearing, in such short notice Puneet wasn’t able to attend the court.”