Bidve murder: Hate crimes on the rise?

New Delhi: It has been more than a week since Indian student Anuj Bidve was shot dead in the UK. One suspect who claims to be mentally unstable was charged with Bidve's murder, while four others were released on bail.
On Monday, hundreds of locals joined Bidve's friend in a candle light vigil at the site where the 23-year old was killed.
An impromptu memorial was also held at India Gate in Delhi.

Meanwhile, a UK police team met Bidve's family in Pune on Monday. His family will leaving for Salford on Tuesday. Authorities say Bidve's body is likely to be handed to his family later on Tuesday after a second post-mortem.
Bidve's family said that they were satisfied with the UK police investigation.
Meanwhile, a student, Vikrant Gupta is also starting an online campaign for justice for Bidve. "The murderer who seems to be not in his right state of mind has done this act. I won’t worry about this thing on a large scale something which has happened out of the blue. I'm sure something like this won’t happen again but nothing can be guaranteed," Gupta said.
"Students and Indians definitely feel insecure, they get worried about the things happening, I think the most important thing is that the families back in India because they don’t have the broader picture but I don’t think this is something that we should be worried about it. It has happened once I hope it doesn’t happen again," Gupta added.
Anuj Bidve, a micro-electronics student at the Lancaster University, on December 26, became the latest victim of a hate crime in Greater Manchester.
Bidve was a part of a group of nine Indian students who were staying in a hotel in Manchester over Christmas. While heading towards the city centre at around 1 pm, they were approached by two white men. Reports indicate one of them asked Bidve the time and when Bidve didn't reply, one of the men removed a handgun and shot him.
The Manchester Police have termed it a hate crime.
Indian student shot dead in Canada
In another such incident in Canada, an Indian student, working part time at a convenience store, was shot dead in Surrey, in a shocking Christmas Day attack.
Alok Gupta, 27, had volunteered to work the afternoon shift to allow the store owners celebrate Christmas together, and was killed by an unidentified gunman.
However, it was not yet clear whether Gupta was shot during a robbery attempt.
Police is yet to make an arrest in connection with the case, but say they do not believe it was gang-related.
"The victim was working Christmas Day as a good deed to the owners who wished to celebrate Christmas together," said Sgt Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
Gupta sought help at a nearby residence and was taken to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later; Pound was quoted as saying by the 'Vancouver Sun' newspaper.
"Although it appears that the victim died from a gunshot wound, the cause of death will ultimately be confirmed through an autopsy," she said.
US: Islamic centre, Hindu worship place attacked
Meanwhile, an Islamic centre housing a mosque and a Hindu worship site were targeted by thugs with firebombs on Monday in New York.
The attacks took place in Queens near New York on Monday night in which unidentified assailants threw homemade firebombs at a house used for Hindu worship services, Islamic centre Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, a home and a convenience store.
There were minor damages but no injuries reported. The police were treating the attacks as hate crimes and were looking into possible links to the other fires caused by similar devices that night.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called such attacks unacceptable and said authorities are investigating the incidents.
"No matter what the motivation was of the individual who threw Molotov cocktails in Queens last night, his actions stand in stark contrast to the New York City of today that we've built together," he said in a statement.
Such hate crimes had come to light in January 2010, when there were attacks reported on Indian students in Australia. 21-year old Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in Melbourne in January 2010 while he was walking to his workplace. An Australian teenager was sentenced to 13 years in jail for the murder of Nitin Garg in December 2011.
The recent attacks have yet again raised a question mark on the security of Indians across the globe.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bidve-murder-hate-crimes-on-the-rise/217270-2.html