A MAN accused of murdering a dog walker on a beach four years ago is set to return to Australia to face trial.
Rajwinder Singh, 38, was arrested in India in November last year over the death of Toyah Cordingley, 24, in October 2018.
Toyah's half-buried body was found by her dad on Wangetti Beach in north Queensland after she had gone for a dog walk the day before.
Her dog was found tied up nearby.
Investigators believe Singh, an Australian citizen who was born in India, attacked the 24-year-old after her dog barked at him as they walked on the beach.
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In a major breakthrough in the case, Singh has now signed a consent application to be extradited to Australia from India.
He told a New Delhi court on Tuesday he wanted to fight the charges against him, according to reports.
A form signed by Singh said: "I know the consequences and nature of the case and am willing to go to Australia and face the trial."
The 38-year-old reportedly told the magistrate he was aware he could face a life sentence if convicted in Australia.
At the time of Toyah's murder, police searched Singh's house, but they were unable to question him as he had already fled the country.
The Australian government sought an extradition order in March 2021 and Indian authorities provisionally approved the request.
But the request needed to be signed off by the court, and India's Ministry of External Affairs will make a final decision on the extradition.
The court is expected to approve the extradition on Friday.
Singh, who worked as a nurse, has a wife and three children in Australia.
He told his legal team in India he had "gone to the beach for some quiet time carrying some fruit and a knife for cutting fruit".
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Public prosecutor Ajay Digpaul told the Australian Associated Press: "In the four years that he was on the run in India, he had no contact with his wife and children for fear of being caught.
"This seems to be the primary motive for wanting to return."
The extradition legal team said the suspect could be back in Australia by the end of February.
At the time of Toyah's death, Port Douglas Councillor Michael Kerr who employed her at his animal shelter Paws and Claws for more than a year described her as "the most beautiful, loving soul".
Cllr Kerr told Cairns Post: "I knew her and her housemate when she was working for me.
“She was an absolutely loyal employee of Paws and Claws. She was one of the most beautiful souls. It’s tragic.
"She adored animals, she was on a different level with animals, than humans. She had something special with animals. Even the troubled dogs would calm down in her presence."
MP Warren Entsch described the attack on Toyah as "frenzied and brutal and sadistic".
