Indian Student Shooting: Man Due in Court

A man is due in court today charged with the murder of an Indian student in the Salford area of Manchester on Boxing Day.

Kiaran Mark Stapleton, 20, from the Ordsall district of Salford, will appear before Manchester City magistrates.

Anuj Bidve, 23, died from a single gunshot wound to the head in the apparently motiveless attack in the early hours of December 26.

Mr Bidve, who was studying for a micro-electronics postgraduate qualification at Lancaster University, was described by tutors as "an outstanding applicant at the very beginning of a promising career".

The news that a man had been charged in connection with his death came as two officers from Greater Manchester Police flew out to India to meet Mr Bidve's family.

His father, Subhash Bidve, has been critical of the way the British and Indian authorities have handled the case.

He found out about his son's death on Facebook at home in Pune, India, before police in the UK managed to contact him.

A total of five people have been arrested by police hunting the killer. On Saturday a 19-year-old man was bailed until the end of March.

Three others, a youth of 16 and two 17-year-olds, were also released on bail pending further inquiries.

The victim was in a group of nine male and female Indian students visiting Manchester for a short break over Christmas.

He was killed at around 1.30am as they walked from their hotel through the Ordsall district, heading for Manchester city centre.

The gunman, a white man wearing a grey top, walked across the road and engaged him in a short conversation before shooting him at close range in the side of the head. Mr Bidve died in hospital a short time later.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have said they are treating it as a "hate crime" which may have been racially motivated.

According to a Facebook page set up in Mr Bidve's memory, he "was killed for not answering a simple question - 'What's the time?"'

Police said the investigation was "very much ongoing" and appealed for information. A £50,000 reward remains outstanding.

Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley, who is in charge of the inquiry, said: "This remains a complex investigation and the fact we have charged someone does not mean the investigation is complete.

"Anuj's family, who are still in India, have been made aware that we have charged someone in relation to his murder and officers from GMP are currently en route to India to support the family in person.

"We know that the family are extremely distressed that Anuj's body has not been released to them. We are working to ensure this happens at the earliest possible opportunity."

Described as "clever and sporty", Mr Bidve arrived in the UK in September after completing an electronics degree at Pune University.