Was Indian student's UK killing racially motivated?

British police investigating the killing of Indian student Anuj Bidve by a white man is not ruling out racism as a motive for the incident. The unnamed white man had a brief conversation with Bidve, 23, when he and his other Indian friends were moving towards the Manchester city centre.

The white man then pulled out a handgun and shot him in the head. Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan, divisional commander for Salford, said a racial motive for the killing was not being ruled out. "We are investigating every possible aspect."

Bidve was a postgraduate student at Lancaster University studying Microelectronics. The police said the students, who had not been drinking, were walking towards the city centre and became aware of two men on the other side of the street.

The gunman, a white male in his 20s who was wearing a grey top, was accompanied by another white man who the police said was of a heavier build and was wearing a black jacket.

Post mortem results are expected to confirm on Tuesday that Bidve died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Initial witness statements have been taken from the other eight students who are now "in a safe place" being cared for by the police until they return to Lancaster university, Mulligan said.

A spokeswoman for Lancaster University said counseling and support has been organised for Bidve's friends who were described as "deeply upset".