STAR’S CODE OF HONOUR

THE father of cowardly killer driver Puneet Puneet has claimed his son is the real victim as he continues to fight to avoid Australian justice.

In the latest blow to the family of Gold Coast student Dean Hofstee, who have so far waited 3893 days for Puneet to be held to account for the fatal crash, Naresh Kumar said his son’s life would be at risk if he was extradited to Australia and claims his family has been ruined.

It came as his lawyers tried to argue in court that Australian authorities were twisting the case to get an extradition order by calling a simple accident culpable homicide.

Puneet, then 19, was drunk and speeding along City Rd in Southbank, Melbourne, when he hit and killed Hofstee, 19, on October 1, 2008.

Puneet pleaded guilty to culpable driving but while on bail fled in 2009. He was arrested in India in 2013 and has since been fighting extradition.

Puneet’s father said his family had been ruined.

And he revealed that Puneet’s wife had sued him for mental disturbance and his inability to behave as “responsible husband”. “She says Puneet is not mentally fit to be her husband and take care of their three-year-old child,” Mr Kumar said.

“Whatever happened in Australia is wrong, a life was lost. It was all unintentional. He was there to study and make future for himself and for us.

He labelled Australia a racist country, adding: “Under such condition, I am concerned about the life of my son, he will not be given due legal help or be treated fairly.”

In New Delhi court earlier this week, Puneet’s defence counsel Kanhaiya Kumar Singhal said the case did not fall within the “extradition domain”.

Meanwhile, lawyers representing Australia in this case, rejected the claims of Puneet’s defence, saying it is just a matter of time now.