London/Pune: A 20-year-old British youth, charged for the cold-blooded murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve, shocked everyone on Monday by calling himself a "psycho" in court before being remanded to custody even as two senior UK police officials met the victim`s family in Pune, who sought justice.
Stapleton 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.
Wearing a grey T-shirt and trousers, Stapleton was brought in handcuffs into a court room packed with reporters. Asked to confirm his name and address as per normal procedure in court, the suspect said his name was "Psycho. Psycho Stapleton".
Bidve, a 23-year-old student of Lancaster University, was shot dead on a Salford street on Boxing Day.
Meanwhile in Pune, Manchester chief police superintendent Berry Russel Jackson and another official arrived this evening and drove straight to Bidve family`s house in Chandannagar area to discuss matters relating to the death of the Bidve, who was doing MS degree in micro-electronics. Bidve`s sister Suruchi Wagh said that 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 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.
Back in London, Bidve`s friends, local leaders and residents prepared to attend a candle-light vigil in his memory at the spot in Salford where he was killed.
In Salford, hundreds of people are expected to attend the event initially organised by friends of Bidve on Facebook. Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz is also expected to attend, besides local leaders and residents appalled at the incident.
Officers from the Greater Manchester Police last night left for India to meet Bidve`s family. 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.
Talking about the police officials visit to Pune, Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: "We felt it was important to make personal contact with the family and offer them every support we could at this difficult time.
"We need to explain to them in person where we are up to in the investigation and what we are doing to ensure Anuj`s body is released to them as soon as possible".
She added: "Having this conversation face-to-face is absolutely the right thing to do and we will of course continue to provide whatever support we can when the family arrive in the UK and once they have returned home".
The police was liaising with the coroner about returning Bidve`s body to his family members, who are expected to reach Manchester later this week.
The Indian high commission is facilitating the process. Manchester later this week.
Copley said: "This remains a complex investigation and the fact we have charged someone does not mean the investigation is complete".
PTI