Salford Murder Treated as Hate Crime

The murder of an Indian student who was gunned down at point-blank range in Salford on Boxing Day is being treated as a "hate crime".

23-year-old Anuj Bidve, was shot in the side of the head as he walked with friends near their hotel in Greater Manchester in the early hours of the morning.

Five people have now been arrested over the incident.

A 20-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of today.

A 16-year-old boy, two boys aged 17, and a 19-year-old man are also being held on suspicion of murder.

Speaking at a press conference today, Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan said detectives were not ruling out that the shooting might have been racially motivated.

He said: "A racially-motivated crime is when there is actual evidence to show that it is the actual motivation for the crime."

He said a hate crime, "by definition, is something that a community or anyone perceives is racially motivated".

Mr Bidve was in a group of nine male and female Indian students visiting Manchester for a short break over the Christmas holidays.

Police said the students, who had not been drinking, were walking from their hotel towards the city centre and became aware of two men on the other side of the street.