Anuj was alive, I was holding his hand, recalls a witness

London: Police say they have arrested four men in connection with the death of the 23-year-old Indian student Anuj Bidve in northwestern England, British satellite broadcaster, Sky News, reported on Wednesday.

Anuj was shot dead on Monday in a seemingly unprovoked attack close to a hotel in the city of Salford.

His father said he spoke to his son on Sunday and that they discussed a proposed visit to Manchester United football stadium.

"He was quite enthusiastic and asked me, told me, that he'll be going and visiting Manchester football stadium because he was very much fond of football and his team, he always used to support Manchester United," an emotional Subhash Bidve said from the family home in Pune.

Rakesh Sonawane, Bidve's brother-in-law, told the BBC on Tuesday that Bidve had long dreamed of living in England, and his family was "equally disturbed and shocked" by the killing.

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Bidve, who hailed from Pune, was studying a postgraduate course in microelectronics at Lancaster University in northern England.

He arrived in Britain just three months ago.

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He was taking a festive break with a group of nine friends when he was shot.

Police said a white man aged in his 20s had stopped the student and spoken with him briefly, before producing a gun and shooting him at close range.

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Sky News spoke to Sheetal Patel who was one of the first people on scene after Bidve was shot.

"He was alive, holding his hands, talking to him, reassuring that help was on the way," she said.

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"We just thought, fair enough, he's going to be picked up from the ambulance, they're going to clean his wound up and he's going to be alright. That's why I'm shocked," she added.

Greater Manchester Police had earlier said it had arrested two men aged 16 and 17 years old.