UK
Sharon Beshenivsky: Man in court charged with 2005 PC murder following extradition from Pakistan
A man accused of murdering a policewoman 18 years ago has appeared in court following his extradition from Pakistan.
Piran Ditta Khan, 74, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London on Thursday, charged with the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky on 18 November, 2005.
He is also charged with robbery, two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon.
Piran Ditta Khan in Pakistan in 2020 (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
PC Beshenivsky was fatally shot as she responded to a robbery at a travel agent in Bradford.
The 38-year-old married mother-of-three, with two stepchildren, had only served nine months with West Yorkshire Police when she died.
Her colleague, PC Teresa Millburn, was seriously injured in the same incident.
PC Sharon Beshenivsky had served only nine months in the force at the time of her death
The court heard a warrant was issued for the arrest of the defendant in Pakistan in 2018 and that he was was detained in 2020.
He was brought back to the UK on Wednesday and taken into custody at a West Yorkshire Police station where he was charged with killing PC Beshenivsky.
Khan is also charged with the robbery of Mohammed Yousaf of a quantity of cash of unknown value.
The firearms charges relate to his alleged possession of a Mac 10 sub-machine gun and a 9mm pistol.
All the alleged offences are said to have taken place on the same day.
The case was adjourned and Khan was remanded in custody by District Judge John Zani.
The judge told him: “All the allegations that you face are to be dealt with at a higher court, the Crown Court, so I am transferring this case to the Central Criminal Court in London and you will appear there on Monday.”