Anuj Bidve shooting: Man charged with murder of Indian student

  • Kiaran Stapleton, 20, from Salford, is charged with murder
  • Anuj Bidve was shot dead at point-blank range on Boxing Day

By
Emily Allen

Last updated at 12:08 PM on 2nd January 2012

The man accused of gunning down Indian student Anuj Bidve on Boxing Day gave his name as ‘Psycho Stapleton’ when he appeared in court today charged with murder.

Kiaran Stapleton, 20, from Ordsall, Salford, was remanded in custody for 24 hours at City of Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

A scrum of TV cameramen and photographers
crowded the prison van carrying Stapleton as it arrived at court, while
inside the courtroom was packed with reporters.

First appearance: The police van carrying Kiaran Stapleton, who is accused of shooting dead student Anuj Bidve, arrives at court in Manchester today

First appearance: The police van carrying Kiaran Stapleton, who is accused of shooting dead student Anuj Bidve, arrives at court in Manchester today

Anuj Bidve, 23, was shot at close range in the Ordsall district of Salford, Greater Manchester on Boxing Day

Anuj Bidve, 23, was shot at close range in the Ordsall district of Salford, Greater Manchester on Boxing Day

On alert: An armed police officer stands guard as a convoy of vehicles carrying Stapleton arrives at court

Alert: An armed officer stands guard as a convoy of vehicles carrying Stapleton arrives at court

Shortly before the hearing began, four armed officers dressed in black stood in each corner of the court.

Wearing handcuffs, Stapleton was brought into the dock and asked for his name.

He replied: ‘Psycho. Psycho Stapleton.’

The defendant, wearing a grey Nike T-shirt and grey jogging bottoms and flanked by two police officers, then confirmed his date of birth.

Ben Southam, prosecuting, said: ‘He appears charged with murder. That’s a matter that can only be dealt with at the crown court by a judge under section 115 of the Coroners and Justices Act.’

He added: ‘He will be sent to Manchester Crown Court in due course.

‘Bail can only be considered by a crown court judge. As far as bail is concerned that’s opposed by the Crown.’

There was no application for bail.

Mr Bidve, 23 was shot once in the head
after being approached by a lone gunman at around 1.30am on December
26. He died a short time later in hospital.

He was with a group of fellow Indian students visiting Manchester for Christmas when he was shot dead.

The apparently motiveless killing generated national and international shock, especially in the victim’s home country.

The court appearance comes after two officers from Greater Manchester Police flew out to India to meet Mr Bidve’s family.

Police in Salford at the scene of the crime. Mr Bidve's father has been critical of the way the British and Indian authorities have handled the case

Police in Salford at the scene of the crime. Mr Bidve’s father
has been critical of the way the British and Indian authorities have handled the case

His father, Subhash Bidve, has been
critical of the way the British and Indian authorities have handled the
case. He found out about his son’s death on Facebook at home in Pune,
India, before police in the UK could contact him.

A
total of five people have been arrested by police hunting the killer. A
19-year-old man was bailed until the end of March. Three others, a
16-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys, were also released on bail
pending further inquiries.

Senior officers described the shooting of
Mr Bidve as ‘horrific’ and a £50,000 reward was put up by police to help
catch the killer.

The victim was in a group of nine male and female Indian students visiting Manchester for a short break over Christmas.

He was killed at around 1.30am on Boxing Day as they walked from their hotel through the inner-city Ordsall district, heading for Manchester city centre.

The gunman was thought to have walked across the road and allegedly engaged the victim in a short conversation before shooting him at close range in the side of the head. Mr Bidve died in hospital a short time later.

Sad: Flowers are left at the scene where Anuj Bidve was shot in Salford, Greater Manchester

Sad: Flowers are left at the scene where Anuj Bidve was shot in Salford, Greater Manchester

Police say they are treating the murder as a ‘hate crime’ which may have been racially motivated.

According
to a Facebook page set up in Mr Bidve’s memory, he ‘was killed for not
answering a simple question – ‘What’s the time?”

Police have not yet disclosed what was said between the killer and his victim.

Mr Bidve 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’.

Described as ‘clever and sporty’, he arrived in the UK in September after completing an electronics degree at Pune University.

Throughout the week, locals left tributes to Mr Bidve at the scene in Ordsall, an area known for high crime levels.

The
killing has disgusted members of the community in the tough inner-city
suburb, which has found itself the subject of worldwide condemnation on
news and social networking sites.

A
note addressed to Mr Bidve and attached to a small bouquet of flowers
said: ‘Evil and mindless people took your life away for nothing. 

‘We
are local residents who are so saddened and sickened at this senseless
act. We don’t think living here will ever be the same.’

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