Murder of Anuj Bidve

Background

Anuj Bidve was an international student from Pune, India, studying for a Master of Science degree in Microelectronics and System-on-Chip Engineering at Lancaster University. On 26 December 2011 he was visiting friends in Salford, near Manchester.

The Killing

At around 01:30 GMT on 26 December 2011, Bidve was shot on Ordsall Lane in Ordsall, Salford, for no apparent reason. He died later in hospital. The killing was described in media coverage as an execution-style shooting, and it attracted significant attention in the UK and in India.

Notification of the Family and Controversy

Greater Manchester Police failed to inform Bidve's family in India of his death before they learned of it through Facebook. His father, Subhash Bidve, said "the world was finished for us" while laying flowers at the murder scene alongside his wife Yogini and brother-in-law Rakesh Sonawane. The family also complained about delays in the investigation and in returning Bidve's body to India. In response, Greater Manchester Police sent two senior officers, including Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, to Pune to apologise to the family and update them on the investigation. Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said police "felt it was important to make personal contact with the family" to explain progress in person. The family subsequently said they had "complete trust and confidence in Greater Manchester Police."

There remained uncertainty over the motive for the attack, including whether it should be treated as a hate crime or as part of a gang initiation; as of 5 January 2012 police had not established this. The coroner later released Bidve's body to the Indian consulate so it could be returned to Pune for the funeral.

Public Response

More than 400 people attended a memorial service at the scene of the shooting in Salford on the night of 2 January 2012. The Bidve family, accompanied by dignitaries from the Indian consulate general in Birmingham, were greeted by Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley, and Barbara Spicer, chief executive of Salford City Council. On 5 January, the family met Keith Vaz, chairman of the Parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee, at Westminster, and British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke with them by phone. Lancaster University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark E. Smith, said the university had provided financial assistance to the family and would hold a memorial ceremony.

Investigation and Trial

By 3 January 2012, five people had been arrested in connection with the case; three were bailed pending further inquiries until March 2012, and a fourth man, aged 19, had his bail cancelled. Kiaran Stapleton of Salford appeared at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on 2 January 2012, where he was charged with murder and remanded in custody without application for bail; the case was sent to Manchester Crown Court. On 26 July 2012, Stapleton was convicted of the murder of Anuj Bidve. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 30 years, meaning he would not be considered for parole until 27 July 2042. The prosecution and defence agreed at trial that Stapleton had antisocial personality disorder.