Zeenews Bureau
London: Friends and family members of Indian student Anuj Bidve, who was shot dead unprovoked on a Salford street on December 26, held a candlelight vigil in Salford, Manchester on Monday.
Apart from Bidve’s friends and family members, several hundred people joined the vigil to show solidarity.
Those in attendance left flowers and messages at the spot in Orsdall Lane where Bidve was killed by a white gunman, which UK police are calling a hate crime.
Bidve, 23, was a student of MS degree in micro-electronics at Lancaster University.
British MP Keith Vaz, who attended the vigil, described the murder as a “senseless act”.
Meanwhile, a second post-mortem is expected to be conducted on Bidve's body today.
On Monday, the 20-year-old British youth charged with the cold-blooded murder was remanded to custody for 24 hours at the City of Manchester Magistrates Court and there was no application for bail. The case has now been sent to the Manchester Crown Court.
Stapleton shocked everyone in court yesterday by calling himself a "psycho".
Also on Monday, two senior visiting UK police officials met the victim's family in Pune, who sought justice.
While meeting Manchester chief police superintendent Berry Russel Jackson and another official at their residence in Pune’s Chandannagar area, Bidve's sister Suruchi Wagh said she wanted justice for her brother.
"Of the five people arrested, three have been released on bail. The trial date will be told to us tomorrow (Tuesday) when the second post-mortem will be conducted by another pathologist.
"If the two post-mortem reports match, Anuj's body will be handed over to the Indian High Commission. We appeal that Anuj should get justice...we trust the Greater Manchester Police and the UK government," she told reporters.
Bidve had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. He was described by tutors as "an outstanding applicant at the very beginning of a promising career".
The Greater Manchester Police said the reward of 50,000 pounds for information related to the case was still on offer.
First Published: Tuesday, January 03, 2012, 10:22