Daijiworld Media Network - Tucson
Tucson, Aug 10: An Indian student accused of murdering his girlfriend in Tucson, Arizona, was arrested in Germany before he could continue his journey to India, according to police.
Varun Batchigari, 20, a business analytics student at the University of Arizona, is accused of murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend, Julissa Rubi Salazar, at a Tucson apartment on August 6.
According to the Tucson Police Department (TPD), Batchigari travelled to Tucson International Airport after the alleged killing and boarded a flight to Germany, from where he planned to continue to India.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
"Through close coordination between TPD, the FBI Tucson Office, and the FBI Legal Attache Office in Berlin, Batchigari was taken into custody upon his arrival in Germany, preventing him from continuing his travel," the Tucson Police Department said in a statement.
Investigators allege that Batchigari took Salazar's cellphone and credit cards after the killing and sent several text messages to her mother while allegedly posing as Salazar in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The messages raised concerns among Salazar's family, who requested a welfare check. Officers subsequently discovered her body inside the apartment.
According to local media reports, the Tucson Fire Department responded to a call regarding a possible cardiac arrest at around 4 pm on August 6. Firefighters found Salazar dead on the floor of her apartment with a blanket pulled up to her neck.
The crew noticed strangulation marks and scratches on her neck and contacted Tucson Police.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by KOLD-TV, Batchigari had previously been involved in an assault case investigated by the University of Arizona Police Department.
Investigators also interviewed witnesses who said Salazar had moved out after experiencing problems with Batchigari in late 2025. She had reportedly planned to end the relationship amid allegations of previous domestic violence.
The warrant includes further allegations from multiple witnesses concerning Batchigari's alleged violent behaviour. One witness told investigators that Batchigari had sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party, although she said she had not reported the allegation to law enforcement.
Federal records reviewed by Fox News reportedly indicate that Batchigari remained in lawful immigration status in the United States at the time of the alleged murder, despite reports that he had been expelled from the University of Arizona.
Batchigari is currently in Germany awaiting extradition to Arizona. He is expected to be booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex once he is returned to the United States.
The allegations against Batchigari have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted.