London:
The body of 23-year-old Anuj Bidve who was shot dead near Manchester will be handed over to his family today. Anuj's parents and his brother-in-law are in London to receive his body and are expected to return to their hometown of Pune tomorrow.
They are also expected to meet MP Keith Vaz, who is the Chairman of Britain's Home Affairs Committee. The Bidve family will visit the site of the gruesome incident in Salford tomorrow. They will also visit the Lancaster University where Anuj studied.
Anuj had begun his engineering course in Lancaster University in 2010. On December 26, he was walking down a street in Salford near Manchester with a group of Indian friends when he was shot by a man who reportedly asked him about the time.
Anuj was rushed to hospital but did not survive. The police have described his murder as a hate crime.
The man who allegedly killed him is named Kiaran Stapleton and caused a stir in court on Monday when he described himself as "psycho."
The procedural delays in releasing Anuj's body to his family as well as alleged insensitivity by policemen handling the case have been heavily criticized. His father also says he learnt of Anuj's death via Facebook. Two policemen from the UK visited the Bidves in Pune this week to explain the details of the case.
After Anuj's family wrote an open letter to External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, the government spoke to British authorities to request assistance with visas and other issues. The Indian government has said it will pay for the family's travel to UK as well as all other expenses involved in bringing Anuj home.