An Indian student in the US is accused of killing his 19-year-old girlfriend before allegedly fleeing the country. Here’s what we know about Varun Batchigari and the case.
Who is Varun Batchigari?
Varun Batchigari, 20, is an Indian national who entered the United States through Los Angeles International Airport on January 8, 2024, on an F-1 student visa, according to federal law enforcement sources cited by Fox News.
According to a YouTube video he posted, Batchigari studied business analytics at the University of Arizona.
Court documents say he was later expelled after a fight and had a history of domestic violence and sexual assault. One woman told investigators that Batchigari had sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party, though she never reported it to police, as per COLD.
Around the time of the killing, Batchigari had also recently lost his job, which reportedly created financial problems and raised concerns about his ability to pay rent and maintain his visa status, per Fox News.
What happened to Julissa Salazar
Batchigari is accused of strangling his 19-year-old girlfriend, Julissa Rubi Salazar, inside her apartment near the University of Arizona in Tucson on Thursday, August 6. The Tucson Fire Department arrived at the apartment around 4pm local time after Salazar’s family requested a welfare check. Crews found her dead on the floor, with a blanket around her neck and signs of strangulation and scratches on her neck. as per KOLD.
One of Salazar’s roommates told investigators that Salazar planned to break up with Batchigari and had previously been sexually assaulted by him. The roommate said Salazar was scared of him because of his history of violent behavior. Another roommate said she heard loud screaming from Salazar’s room on August 5. The screaming lasted several minutes. She later texted Salazar to check if she was okay, and Salazar replied that she was fine and that it was just an argument, according to KOLD.
Investigators allege Batchigari stole Salazar’s phone and credit cards after the killing and used them to send a series of messages to her mother while posing as Salazar, apparently to cover up the crime. Salazar’s mother said the messages did not match how her daughter usually communicated, which raised her family’s concern.
How the Batchigari was caught in Germany
After the alleged killing, Batchigari allegedly used Salazar’s stolen bank card to get a ride to Tucson International Airport. He then flew to Houston and took another flight to Germany, planning to continue to his home country, India. He was arrested in Germany with help from the FBI Tucson Office and the FBI Legal Attache Office in Berlin, as per KOLD.
He faces charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping and is awaiting extradition to Pima County, Arizona, where he will be booked into the Pima County Adult Detention facility.
Federal records reviewed by Fox News show that Batchigari was still in legal immigration status when the alleged murder happened, even though he had reportedly been expelled from the university. F-1 international students generally need to remain enrolled to keep their legal status, so it is unclear why his status had not already changed.
