Daijiworld Media Network
Mumbai, Jan 4: After two police officers of Greater Manchester Police, England, visited the family of Anuj Bidve (23), a student of Lancaster University, at Chandan Nagar in Pune, the family retracted its earlier reservations, and said it has full faith in the efficacy of British police department.
It may be recalled that after Anuj, who was shot dead early morning while walking with fellow Indian students during his visit to Manchester during Christmas vacation on December 26, 2011, by an alleged psycho, Kiaran Stapleton, the family had alleged that the police department in Britain had failed to communicate with them, that they came to know about the death only through Face Book. They had also spoken of red-tape thwarting delivery of Anuj’s body to them.
The family said, that the police officers who visited them, cleared their misgivings about the working of the British police. Family members said that they were convinced at the explanation given by the visiting police team that the delay in communicating with the family was caused as the police personnel were trying to find out a person to whom to establish contact. The police officers also tendered an apology to the family for the delay in handling the issue.
The Great Manchester police team, comprising chief superintendent, Russ Jackson, and chief constable-cum-liaison officer, Peter Richards, met the family of Anuj on Monday, along with Shirin Mistry, director of Western India Communications and Public Affairs.
Suruchi Wagh, a cousin of Anuj, confessed that the family members had put their UK visit on hold, awaiting confirmation about the timing of delivery of Anuj’s body to them. She said that the family is happy at the explanations and answers provided by the policemen. She confessed that she and other family members are as yet unaware when the body would be delivered.
In the meanwhile, the British police personnel said in a press conference that the body of the slain student will most likely be released after the second autopsy. Jackson said in a press conference that the British police use services of family liaison officers towards supporting and guiding the families in murder cases, towards receiving the bodies of their relatives and legal matters. He said that second post mortem as per procedure in case of murder, was being held on January 3 and that request for release of Anuj’s body will be considered by the investigators thereafter. About the planned visit by the family to UK, he revealed that details of the visit are being worked out.