| A 20-year-old Indian student accused of murdering his girlfriend in the US was arrested in Germany before he could board a connecting flight to his home country. Varun Batchigari, a business analytics student at the University of Arizona, allegedly murdered his 19-year-old girlfriend Julissa Rubi Salazar on August 6 at her apartment in Tucson city. According to the Tucson Police Department (TPD), Batchigari travelled to the Tucson International Airport, where he boarded a flight to Germany with plans to continue to India. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging Batchigari 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," Tucson Police said in a statement. Investigators allege that Batchigari stole Salazar's cellphone and credit cards after the killing and sent a series of text messages to her mother while posing as the victim in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. The messages raised concern among Salazar's family, prompting a welfare check that led officers to discover her body. ALSO READ: Who Is Matin Patel? AIMIM Corporator Arrested For Sheltering Nashik TCS Case Accused Nida Khan Local media reported that the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) responded to a call about a cardiac arrest around 4 pm on August 6. Crews found Salazar dead on the floor of her apartment with a blanket pulled up to her neck. Salazar had strangulation marks and scratches on her neck, so the TFD crew called the city police. According to the warrant, obtained by KOLD-TV, Batchigari had previously been involved in an assault case investigated by the University of Arizona Police Department. Witnesses interviewed by investigators said Salazar moved out after experiencing problems with Batchigari in late 2025 and had planned to end the relationship because of an alleged history of domestic violence. The warrant also includes allegations from multiple witnesses describing prior violent behaviour. According to New York Post news portal, Batchigari had an open criminal case against him for assault, knowingly causing injury filed in Pima County Court in May. One witness told investigators that Batchigari sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party but said she never reported the allegation to law enforcement. Federal records reviewed by Fox News show the student remained in lawful immigration status at the time of the alleged murder despite his reported expulsion from the University of Arizona. ALSO READ: Trump Security Scare: Armed Man Arrested Near US President's Golf Course In California According to the Post report, Batchigari had also recently lost his job, losing his ability to pay rent and putting his visa status in jeopardy. Batchigari is awaiting extradition to Arizona, where he will be booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on his warrant. |
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