Anuj Bidve, 23, was shot at point-blank range as he walked with friends near a hotel in Salford in the early hours of Boxing Day. Mr Bidve was with a group of nine Indian students from Lancaster University who were visiting Manchester for a Christmas break. The men and women were walking from their hotel to the city centre past two men on the other side of the street. He was studying for a micro- electronics postgraduate qualification at Lancaster University, and was described by tutors as “an outstanding applicant at the very beginning of a promising career”.
Bidve murder a possible hate crime
Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan, the divisional commander for Salford, said yesterday: “We have not established a clear motive for the senseless murder, and there is no definitive evidence pointing to it being racially-motivated. However, we are treating this as a hate crime based on the growing perceptions within the community it was motivated by hate.” Bidve, a Lancaster University student, was apparently murdered on Monday for not telling the time.
Gobby telly star Jeremy Clarkson was accused of mocking Indian culture in a Top Gear Christmas special. Viewers were outraged by his Carry On-style jibes about the country’s food, clothing, toilets, trains and history. A BBC spokeswoman last night said they had so far received eight objections accusing the show of racism. Viewers branded Clarkson, 51, a “Nazi” and slammed the show as “casual racism”. Top Gear was shown two days after the Boxing Day murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve, 23, in Salford. Raj Dhutta, of Manchester Indian Association, said last night: “The Manchester community is in shock at the murder of Anuj, and this was tasteless timing. The show itself was also tasteless. These are perceptions that shouldn’t be picked up anywhere.” The race row comes just weeks after Clarkson sparked outrage by saying Brit public sector strikers should be shot.
City’s shame over shot student
Norman Owen, leader of Salford’s Liberal Democrats, said: “I am really concerned. If you look at the history over the last three or four years we have had some severe shootings in this city.” Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan, divisional commander for Salford, said “I want to take this opportunity to praise the response of the Ordsall community who are clearly outraged by the murder of this young man and have come forward with information that is greatly assisting the investigation. Professor Bob McKinlay, deputy vice chancellor of Lancaster University, said it will offer Mr Bidve’s family help with the costs of repatriation of the student’s body.
Lessons we must learn from horror in oxford street
The arrival of gangs on Oxford Street is the inevitable result of years of crime policy that has sought to contain gang violence rather than eradicate it. The tragedy is that a couple of years ago the police in Lon- don did appear to be beginning to get on top of the problem of knife crime. The failure to confront gangs head-on has left communities intimidated and eventually led to the inevitable: gangs taking a short Tube ride into central London and carrying on their blood feuds there too.
How strangers can avoid getting attacked in the UK
News website Rediff.com initiated a public debate in India on how to avoid trouble in the UK in the wake of the murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve in Salford, Greater Manchester on December 26. Here’s one of the most valued response from one of the reader named Aruni Mukherjee. Aruni has lived in the United Kingdom for 11 years, spending the first seven as a student and since 2007 working as a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser. He lives with his wife in London.
An appeal: Anyone with information on Anuj Bidve is asked to call the incident room on 0161 856 5448 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.