Vigil Held For Indian Student Shot Dead

A vigil was held last night for an Indian student shot dead in Britain, ahead of a second court appearance of his alleged killer.

Hundreds of people attended the candlelit memorial service for Anuj Bidve at the scene where he was gunned down in Ordsall Lane, Salford.

A peace march was also held for him in New Delhi, finishing outside the British Embassy.

The man calling himself "Psycho" will appear before a Crown Court judge later today accused of the Boxing Day murder of Mr Bidve.

Kiaran Stapleton, 20, from Ordsall, Salford, replied "Psycho Stapleton" when asked to give his name as he stood in the dock at City of Manchester Magistrates' Court yesterday.

He was remanded in custody overnight to appear at Manchester Crown Court later today.

He was arrested last Thursday and charged with Mr Bidve's murder on Sunday.

Mr Bidve, 23, described as a "promising and clever" student, was shot once in the head at around 1.30am on December 26. He died a short time later in hospital.

He was with a group of fellow Indian students visiting Manchester for Christmas when he was murdered as the group walked through the Ordsall district of Salford, heading for Manchester city centre.

The apparently motiveless killing has generated national and international shock, especially in the victim's home country.

Two officers from Greater Manchester Police have flown to India to meet Subhash Bidve, the victim's father.

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

Mr Bidve was studying for a micro-electronics postgraduate qualification at Lancaster University, coming to the UK in September after completing an electronics degree at Pune University.