The man accused of murdering Cairns woman Toyah Cordingley will be extradited from India to Australia to stand trial, a New Delhi court has ordered.
Rajwinder Singh has been wanted since 2018 when the 24-year-old was found dead on Wangetti Beach north of Cairns.
Police say Mr Singh fled to India the day after Ms Cordingley was found dead.
Queensland police offered a $1 million reward for information on the case in November, the largest in the state's history.
A few weeks later, Mr Singh was arrested by Indian authorities.
Earlier this month, Mr Singh gave an official statement to the Delhi District Court saying he wanted to be extradited as soon as possible, and that he wanted to fight the murder charge.
With the Indian court approving the extradition, it now needs to be signed off by the country's Ministry of External Affairs, which could happen within the month, but by the end of February at the latest, according to lawyers.
Court approval would be a significant win for the Australian government, which applied to extradite Mr Singh in 2021.
Extradition cases can take years in India's slow justice system, so Mr Singh's consent to going to Australia to face trial has expedited what could have been a long process.
It has meant the court did not need to hear evidence put together by Australian police on the strength of the case against him, and the arguments supporting the extradition.
Mr Singh is of Indian origin, but has a wife and three children in Australia, where he is a citizen.
'Needle in the haystack'
MP for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch has been pushing for the extradition for several years and told ABC Radio Cairns he was relieved.
"It's another step closer to understanding exactly who may have been involved in this tragedy, this hideous crime," he said.
He said his thoughts were with the family and the local community.
"All the way through, the police have been nothing short of sensational," he said.
Mr Entsch also thanked the Queensland government for offering the $1 million reward.
He said: "That found the needle in the haystack."
The Member for Leichhardt also called for patience and faith in the judicial system.
"Let's not race out making public accusations that might compromise this trial in any shape or form."
