UK Police apologises to Anuj Bidve's father

Manchester, Dec 31 (IBNS) The UK police on Friday apologised to the father of Indian student Anuj Bidve who found out on Facebook that his son had been shot and killed by a gunman in Manchester a hate crime in a suspected racially motivated crime.

Greater Manchester Police´s Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley confirmed that Subhash Bidve, the victim´s father, read a post on the social networking site before officers were able to contact him.

""That is not the way anyone should have to find out something so devastating and we completely understand how upset the family are," she was quoted as saying.

"Social networking is instantaneous and we have no control over when and what people post on such sites, but no one should hear such tragic news in this way."

Earlier, speaking to BBS radio, the father said, "Nobody official from the UK government or consulate or the Indian government called us and told us about this."

"I am really surprised because they confiscated his phone and must have known his father´s or mother´s number. They could have called us and told us what had happened to him," he said.

Police, meanwhile, said a 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys arrested over the murder have been released on bail while two men aged 19 and 20 remain in custody.

Earlier, Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan, divisional commander for Salford, said: ""We have not established a clear motive for the senseless murder of Anuj, 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."

The UK Police on Thursday had arrested a fifth person in connection to the murder of 23-year-old Anuj Bidve on Boxing Day in Manchester.

Anuj was a student visiting Manchester with a group of friends and was making his way into the city centre when he was confronted by the gunman who, after a very brief conversation, produced the weapon and shot him.