Teen accused of Indian IT technician's murder granted name suppression

A teen accused of murdering Sandeep Dhiman has been granted further name suppression. Photo File

A teenager charged with murdering an Indian national has been denied bail but granted continued name suppression.

Currently in custody, the 17-year-old has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and aggravated robbery following the death of Sandeep Dhiman, 30, whose body was found at Matahorua Rd near Tutira on December 18 last year.

Her alleged co-offender, Shaun Liam Karauria, 17, was also charged with murder in December last year.

The female appeared at the High Court at Napier yesterday to apply for electronically monitored bail.

Following the Crown's opposition to the application, Judge Peter Churchman denied bail but adjourned the hearing to order a report be prepared into the availability of a secure youth facility where she could live ahead of her trial in November.

He also ordered name suppression be continued.

Dhiman had been living in Napier at the time of his death and was due to visit his home in India last month to get married.

According to Indian media, his parents were visiting another son in Australia when they got the news of his death, having last spoken to him about 6pm the night before.

The Crown claims the teenagers also took Dhiman's car and two cellphones immediately after causing him grievous bodily harm.

His body was found on the rural roadside about 7km away from the junction with State Highway 2 by a tanker driver who could see into the roadside ditch from his elevated driving position.

At the end of December, Indian media reported Dhiman was an IT professional who shifted to New Zealand on a study visa in June 2015 and worked as a fibre technician.

His body was taken home to Kharar and cremated. Yesterday, the court heard his family will travel to New Zealand to attend November's trial.