NRIs offer to help beleaguered Bidve family

Even as the Indian government has agreed to bear expenses for bringing home from Britain, the body of Pune student Anuj Bidve, shot dead by a gunman in United Kingdom on December 26, offers of help have been pouring in for the family from non-resident Indians (NRIs) settled there.

Aditya Salunkhe, Anuj’s cousin said that they have received a few calls from Indians settled in UK expressing their grief and offering help.

“They probably got our numbers from Facebook and called up. We don’t know these people personally but they were good to offer any kind of help required including lodging once family reaches the UK,’’ said Salunkhe.

23-year-old Bidve, who hails from Chandannagar, was shot dead by a white man in his 20’s on Salford Street, Greater Manchester. Bidve who studied micro-electronics had gone to celebrate Christmas weekend there when the gunman shot him dead for refusing to tell the time of the night.

Meanwhile, the Bidve family has replied to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) enquiring about the procedure to get financial help. “The letter from MEA promised help but we are unaware of how to get it and the mail didn’t specify. Hence, we have replied asking for help in getting the tickets,’’ said Salunkhe.

Though the MEA has promised to sponsor tickets for only two people, the Bidve family has decided that Anuj’s mother Yogini will travel with his father Subhash and brother-in-law Rakesh Sonawane to UK in order to get Anuj’s body and his personal belongings to India.

“Yes, the family has decided to bear the expenses as she wants to come,’’ said Sonawane. Yogini applied to the Lancaster University for completing procedure to get Anuj’s belongings but the varsity replied that no formalities were required except the presence of family members.

Five students have so far been arrested by the UK police in what they are now describing is believed to be a ‘hate’ crime. British police are in touch with Bidve’s family said that they are yet to zero in on any concrete motive for the senseless killing but assured the family that they would continue investigations even on public holidays starting from Saturday to ensure pace of investigations do not suffer.

“On Thursday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan called us at 11.30 am to say that he had spoken to SM Krishna, minister of external affairs and even Indian High Commission in UK. He was personally looking into the case and promised all possible help,’’ said Salunkhe.

While on Monday, peace marches have been organised in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and Salford Street, Greater Manchester at 6 pm, a protest march at Karve Road was organised by the youth wing of Shiv Sena and led by Neelam Gorhe protesting against Bidve’s murder.