Fifth person arrested over shooting of Indian student

Officers from Greater Manchester Police arrested a 20-year-old man in the early hours of Thursday morning. A 16-year-old boy, two 17-year old boys and a 19 year old man are also being held on suspicion of murder.

Mr Bidve, 23, was fatally wounded in the early hours of Boxing Day when a gunman, described as a white male in his twenties, opened fire at close range after a brief conversation. There is no known motive for the attack. Mr Bidve, who was studying on a micro-electronics postgraduate course at Lancaster University, collapsed and died in hospital a short while later.

Police, who are still searching for the gun used in the attack, say they have had a lot of assistance from the local community.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan said: “Whilst we cannot establish a motive we are, however, treating it as a racist, hate crime, based on the perception gained from the community.”

Mr Bidve was one of a group of nine Indian students visiting Manchester during the Christmas holidays. They had been walking from their hotel to the city centre when the attack happened.

His family in Pune, Maharashtra, said they had “lost faith in everything” following his murder. Relatives are preparing to fly to Manchester by the end of the week to bring his body home. His father, Subhash, has called on the UK government to speed up the process of repatriation.

Friends of Mr Bidve in India are organising a peace march in his memory in New Delhi on 2 January, while his friends in the UK are planning a candle-lit vigil on the same day in Salford at the place where he was shot.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police incident room on 0161 856 5448 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.