Maharashtra police team goes to Prague to extradite man wanted in 19-year-old murder case of U.S. model

U.S. model Leona Swinderski was allegedly killed by two men in February 2003

A police team from Thane in Maharashtra has gone to Prague in the Czech Republic to extradite a man hailing from Gujarat in connection with the murder of a United States model in February 2003, an official said on Monday.

Notably, the Bombay High Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against U.S. citizen Pranesh Desai and his friend Vipul Patel, who is currently in Prague, for failing to appear for hearings on an appeal challenging their acquittal in the case.

Hence, a team led by a deputy commissioner of police left for Prague on Saturday to get Mr. Patel, the official from Kashimira police station said.

A Thane sessions court had acquitted the duo in 2003 in the case of murder of U.S. model Leona Swinderski (33).

Mr. Desai and Swinderski were apparently in a relationship and were to get married in May 2003.

On February 7, 2003, soon after the duo arrived at the airport in neighbouring Mumbai, the model had gone missing. Her body was found the next day on a highway in Kashimira area of Thane district, the official said.

Police then alleged that Desai had taken the help of his friend Patel to kill the model to claim her insurance sum of $1 million.