4 weeks to get body from UK? Anuj's family in shock

Anuj Bidve's family is in utter shock. While the murder of their 23-year-old son at Salford, Greater Manchester, was shocking enough, the news that his dead body will take another four weeks to be sent to India has sapped them completely.

The family is now reaching out to everybody possible -- local police in Salford, Indian embassy in the UK -- so that Anuj's parents could see his body as soon as possible and give him a decent burial in India.

Anuj is a resident of Chandan Nagar, a small neighbourhood near Pune Airport.

"The local police in the UK says it will take them four weeks to send the body to India," Rakesh Sonawane, who is married to Anuj's sister Nehal, told rediff.com over telephone.

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"Four weeks is very difficult; it is a very long time," Rakesh said.

"They (Anuj's parents) are dying to see him, they are in tremendous shock. We have to get Anuj to get them out of shock," a desperate Rakesh said about the mental condition of his in-laws.

Had it not been for a Facebook status from Anuj's friend, the family would have not even come to know about the gruesome murder, adds Rakesh.

According to reports emanating from UK newspapers, Anuj was shot in his head in Salford, Greater Manchester -- where he was vacationing with his friends, all aged between 22 to 24 and all of whom have just been in the UK since the last three months to study -- by a white male from close range.

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Rakesh did not disclose the names of the friends who were with Anuj because they were also going through trauma.

"My brother-in-law saw the status update of one of Anuj's friend who was with him on the fateful day," said Rakesh, who refused to disclose the name of this friend.

Strangely, said Rakesh, the Indian embassy officials in the UK have still not cared to walk up to the local police and ask them about the incident.

The Bidve and Sonawane family in Pune somehow have managed to get in touch with Indian embassy officials in the UK and plan to call them soon to seek their help.

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For the moment though, the shocked family fails to understand why would the UK police take almost a month to send back Anuj's dead body.

Repeated attempts to get in touch with Detective Constable Peter Rickards, in charge of the investigation, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

A police control room officer a Greater Manchester, Salford, took this correspondent's number and said he will pass the number to Detective Sergeant Julie Connor who is also looking into the matter. Julie Connor is yet to call back.

Those who could help the Bidve family expedite the matter can call Rakesh Sonawane at 9325018721

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