Thaindian News

London, Jan 1 (IANS) British police officers would visit India to meet the family of 23-year-old Indian student Anuj Bidve who was shot dead in Manchester a day after Christmas, officials said.

Bidve, from Pune in India’s Maharashtra state, was shot in the head from a close range in an apparently motiveless attack in the early hours of Dec 26. The gunman — suspected to be a white man in his 20s — reportedly crossed the road to speak to Bidve before shooting him.

Police are treating the killing as a “hate crime” which may have been racially motivated.

Manchester police chief superintendent Russ Jackson and a specially-trained family liaison officer, who deals with bereaved families, would travel to India meet Bidve’s family and representatives from the Indian authorities, Sky News reported.

“Our family liaison officers are in regular contact with Anuj’s family but passing information and updates over the phone is not the best way to communicate in such difficult and tragic circumstances,” said assistant chief constable Dawn Copley.

“It is important to me personally, and Greater Manchester Police, to have someone from the force meet with Anuj’s family at the earliest opportunity and help support them at this time.”

“Having conversations face-to-face is absolutely the right thing to do. We will, of course, also provide whatever support we can throughout the family’s forthcoming trip to Britain,” she said.

A 50,000-pound reward has been offered by police to help catch the killer.

Bidve was a postgraduate student in micro-electronics at Lancaster University.

Three people aged 19, 20, and 16 and two 17-year-olds have been arrested in connection with the case.