Manchester:
As anger still simmers over the horrific murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve in Manchester last week, a candlelight vigil was held on Monday evening by his friends in the city as a mark of a silent protest.
A large number of people from across England gathered, along with Mr Bidve's friends and fellow students, in Salford to pay their last respects and placed candles and flowers at the spot where the 23-year-old was killed.
"Obviously the community here and throughout the United Kingdom has been very moved by this terrible death. It was a senseless act. What we see today is the whole community here in Ordsall united with people from different parts of the country. I'm pleased that someone has been arrested and charged and now we have to await the process of justice," British MP Keith Vaz, who also attended the event, said.
Mr Bidve, a post-graduate student at the Lancaster University, was shot dead at point blank range on December 26 when he was walking down the street in Salford near Manchester with a group of Indian friends. They were visiting the town during their Christmas vacation from college. He had moved to Lancaster University from his hometown in Pune in 2010.
The man charged with his murder has been remanded to police custody by a UK court. Appearing before the City of Manchester Magistrates Court yesterday, 20-year-old Kiaran Stapleton described himself as "psycho". Asked to confirm his name and address, Stapleton said his name was "Psycho. Psycho Stapleton".
The police have said that they are treating the murder as a hate crime. The seemingly unprovoked attack on Mr Bidve has come as a major embarrassment for the UK police as it has been heavily criticised for inaction, insensitivity and red tape. It has also raised questions about the safety of foreign students in the country.
While the victim's father, Subhash Bidve, earlier alleged that the family learnt of the murder via Facebook, his body has yet to be released. His father and brother-in-law Rakesh Sonawane are expected to leave for Manchester later today to try and expedite the process.
In what appeared to be a damage-control exercise, two officers from the Greater Manchester Police met with the Bidves at their home in Pune. Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley, who has overall command of the case, said, "We need to explain to them in person where we are up to in the investigation and what we are doing to ensure Anuj's body is released to them as soon as possible. Having this conversation face-to-face is absolutely the right thing to do. We know the family are extremely distressed that Anuj has not yet been returned to them." The Bidve family will have to wait a little longer to perform his last rites." The defence team has the right to apply for a second post mortem," Mr Copley explained.
The body would be released if the second post-mortem report matched the first one in keeping with a legal requirement, a police officer is reported to have told the family. The family has expressed the hope that this would happen by tomorrow.