Six charged with murder of Khuram Shaikh

Khuram Shaikh

Six men have been charged with the murder of Khuram Shaikh who was shot and stabbed on holiday in Sri Lanka two years ago.

The 32-year-old Red Cross worker from Milnrow was murdered in Sri Lanka on Christmas Day in 2011 and his girlfriend was beaten and raped.

The development follows pressure from Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, who had accused the Sri Lankan authorities of a cover-up because of alleged links between one of the defendants and a local politician closely connected to the Sri Lankan President.

Mr Danczuk had high-level meetings in Sri Lanka to raise the subject during which, he said, he was given assurances the case would go to trial.

Mr Danczuk was accompanied by Khuram's brother, Nasir Shaikh, who has been campaigning for the killers to be brought to justice.

Nasir said: "This is an encouraging development, but it won't sink in until we have a trial date. We have waited a long time for this and my family won't rest until the Sri Lankan authorities deliver justice for my brother."

Simon Danczuk cautiously welcomed the news. He said: "This has been a long and hard campaign and let's hope this is now the beginning of the end. I have directly raised my concerns with the Prime Minister about his attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka next month, and I hope the first thing the President does when he shakes David Cameron's hand is confirm that justice is being done.

"We have had to push very hard to get the Sri Lankan authorities to properly investigate this terrible crime and the family have waited nearly two years for justice. They are heartbroken and want closure.

"If Sri Lanka wants to continue to develop its tourism sector then it needs to send out a very clear message. When British tourists are brutally murdered then we need to see justice being delivered and the killers put behind bars."