A 20-year-old Indian man has been arrested on charges of killing his American girlfriend. He was taken into custody in Germany after his 19-year-old girlfriend was found dead in an apartment in Tucson, Arizona. US police stated that the young man was attempting to flee to India via Germany.
According to a New York Post report, 19-year-old college student Julissa Ruby Salazar lived in the Tucson-area apartment. After being unable to contact her, family members requested the police to check on her.
Last Thursday, around 4 PM, police and emergency personnel visited the apartment located near Euclid Avenue and Elm Street. Tucson Fire Department personnel subsequently found Salazar unresponsive; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police reported signs of severe trauma on Salazar’s body, leading them to suspect homicide.
Investigators identified Salazar’s 20-year-old boyfriend, Varun Bachigari, as the prime suspect. Authorities allege that Salazar was strangled to death.
‘Took girlfriend’s phone and credit card’
Police and local media reports state that Bachigari took Salazar’s phone and credit card. He then sent a series of text messages to Salazar’s mother from the phone, which aroused the suspicions of investigators.
Investigators later discovered that on the day Salazar died, Bachigari went to Tucson International Airport. He first boarded a flight to Houston and then took another flight bound for Berlin, Germany. His final destination was India.
An arrest warrant was issued against Bachigari in the US on charges of murder and kidnapping. Subsequently, with the cooperation of federal, local, and international authorities, Arizona officials arranged for his detention in Germany. Roommates heard shouting a few days earlier.
Roommates reported hearing loud shouting from Salazar’s bedroom on August 5—days before he was found dead. They later sent him a text message to check if he was okay. Salazar reportedly replied that he was fine and that the noise had stemmed from an argument.
Investigators also learned that Salazar was planning to end his relationship with Bachigari. According to local media reports, he had previously accused Bachigari of sexual assault, though no formal police complaint was filed regarding that incident.
Bachigari was facing a separate case in Pima County involving an assault; court records indicate that the case was filed against him last May.
Bachigari had previously studied at the University of Arizona, majoring in Business Analytics, but was expelled following a physical altercation.
It has also been reported that Bachigari recently lost his job, making it difficult for him to pay rent and jeopardizing the validity of his visa.
Bachigari remains in custody in Germany, and proceedings to extradite him to Arizona are underway. Once there, he will be taken to the Pima County Adult Detention Center and will face trial for the murder.
