London:
The body of 23-year-old Anuj Bidve who was shot dead near Manchester has been handed to the Indian embassy in London. Anuj's family - his parents and his brother-in-law - are heading to London today. They are expected to return to their hometown of Pune on Friday.
Anuj was a student at Lancaster University. He had begun his engineering course there in 2010. On December 26, he was walking down a street in Salford near Manchester with a group of Indian friends when he was shot by a man who reportedly asked him about the time.
Anuj was rushed to hospital but did not survive. The police has described his murder as a hate crime.
The man who allegedly killed him is named Kiaran Stapleton and caused a stir in court on Monday when he described himself as "psycho."
The procedural delays in releasing Anuj's body to his family as well as alleged insensitivity by policemen handling the case have been heavily criticized. His father also says he learnt of Anuj's death via Facebook. Two policemen from the UK visited the Bidves in Pune this week to explain the details of the case.
After Anuj's family wrote an open letter to External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, the government spoke to British authorities to request assistance with visas and other issues. The Indian government has said it will pay for the family's travel to UK as well as all other expenses involved in bringing Anuj home.