INDIAN police's prime suspect in the murder of Burnley charity worker Michael Blakey was due to appear in court today.

Pawan Bhardwaj, the husband of Michael's friend Rachel Owen, has been held for more than a week over the discovery of Michael's body in a ditch outside the village of McLeod Ganj in late November.

And the 23-year-old's diaries, published in a national paper yesterday, apparently reveal Bhardwaj had threatened to kill him.

In the diary entry, dated October 20, Michael said that Bhardwaj had been threatening to kill him, but that this was "nothing new", because the tea shop worker believed he and Mrs Owen were having an affair.

Mrs Owen, who is two months pregnant, has denied she and Michael, a devout Christian, had a sexual relationship.

The pair set up the Tong-Len charitable trust in Dharamsala together.

In the same diary extract, Michael also apparently said he was looking forward to Anna Owen, Rachel's mother, arriving in Dharamsala and helping to sort out the "mess".

He also said Rachel was concerned her husband may be suffering from manic depression.

The revelations also included what was claimed to be a leaked police witness statement from Rachel Owen, in which she tells officers that she had told Michael of Bhardwaj's threats, but had not believed that her friend was in any danger.

Paul Blakey, Michael's father, said yesterday that he had not seen the extracts, but that he was "not over-keen" on his son's diary being published.

He added that he did not know Bhardwaj, so could not comment on his arrest, but said: "I believe the police are carrying out a thorough investigation.

"We know justice will be carried out as thoroughly and speedily as possible."

Bhardwaj last appeared in court on Saturday, but Superintendent Santosh Patial, of Chandagar Police, said the case had been adjourned until today.