‘In touch with US’: MEA after Indian student arrested in Germany for girlfriend’s murder in Arizona

India is in touch with US authorities over the case of Indian student Varun Batchigari, who was apprehended in Germany after being accused of killing his girlfriend in Arizona, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

“We remain in touch with the US authorities on this particular matter to ascertain more details regarding the case,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the weekly press briefing.

The remarks came after Batchigari, 20, was arrested in Germany for allegedly strangling his girlfriend, Julissa Rubi Salazar, to death in Tucson, Arizona, and later fleeing the US to evade arrest.

Jaiswal said Indian authorities had been informed after the serious crime was allegedly committed and that the information was subsequently conveyed to the relevant law enforcement authorities in India.

“[The] Indian student was apprehended in Germany. We were informed about this particular Indian national, who had committed, or was alleged to have committed, a serious crime in the state of Arizona,” he said.

According to the Tucson Police Department, 19-year-old Salazar was found dead with signs of trauma at an apartment in Tucson on August 6 after family members requested a welfare check. Following an investigation, police identified Batchigari, described as Salazar’s boyfriend, as the suspect.

Police said Batchigari travelled to Tucson International Airport the same day and boarded a flight to Germany, with plans to continue his journey to India.

US authorities subsequently obtained an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree murder and kidnapping. The Tucson Police Department said he was taken into custody in Germany upon arrival, preventing him from continuing his journey.

The operation involved the Tucson Police Department, the FBI’s Tucson office, its Legal Attaché office in Berlin, US Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the US Marshals Service and German police.

Batchigari is currently awaiting extradition to the United States, where he is expected to be booked at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on the outstanding warrant, according to the Tucson Police Department.

The MEA spokesperson’s remarks indicated that Indian authorities were tracking the case through law enforcement and diplomatic channels and seeking further details from the US side.