Bidve murder: 'Psycho' Briton remanded to custody

A 20-year-old British youth, charged for the cold-blooded murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve, shocked everyone on Monday by calling himself a "psycho" in court before being remanded to custody.

Stapleton was remanded to custody for 24 hours at the City of Manchester Magistrates Court. There was no application for bail and the case has now been sent to the Manchester Crown Court.

Wearing a grey T-shirt and trousers, Stapleton was brought in handcuffs into a court room packed with reporters. Asked to confirm his name and address as per normal procedure in court, the suspect said his name was "Psycho. Psycho Stapleton".

Bidve, a 23-year-old student of Lancaster University, was shot dead on a Salford street on Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, Bidve's friends, local leaders and residents prepared to attend a candle-light vigil in his memory at the spot in Salford where he was killed.

A similar vigil planned in New Delhi is scheduled to culminate outside the British high commission.

In Salford, hundreds of people are expected to attend the event initially organised by friends of Bidve on Facebook. Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz is also expected to attend, besides local leaders and residents appalled at the incident.

Officers from the Greater Manchester Police on Sunday night left for India to meet Bidve's family.

Bidve, who was a postgraduate student of Microelectronics, died from a single gunshot wound to the head. He was described by tutors as "an outstanding applicant at the very beginning of a promising career".

The Greater Manchester Police said the reward of 50,000 pounds for information related to the case was still on offer. Two senior officers from Greater Manchester Police have arrived in Pune to meet Bidve's family, the police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said, "We felt it was important to make personal contact with the family and offer them every support we could at this difficult time.

"We need to explain to them in person where we are up to in the investigation and what we are doing to ensure Anuj's body is released to them as soon as possible".

She added, "Having this conversation face-to-face is absolutely the right thing to do and we will of course continue to provide whatever support we can when the family arrive in the United Kingdom and once they have returned home".

The police was liaising with the coroner about returning Bidve's body to his family members, who are expected to reach Manchester later this week. The Indian high commission is facilitating the process.

Copley said, "This remains a complex investigation and the fact we have charged someone does not mean the investigation is complete."