The West Midlands police, who said that she was killed at her hostel in Handsworth, a suburb of Birmingham, on Wednesday arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the murder.
Another man was found in the hostel with serious injuries and was admitted in hospital. Police offi cials refused to confirm whether the man they arrested was the same person.
Jyothirmayee was staying at the hostel on Montague Road with three other Indian students.
She went abroad for higher studies in Sep tember 2007 and her parents, Mr V.V.N. Saibabu and Mrs Nagaraja Kumari, live in Lambadipeta in One Town of Vijayawada.
Jyothirmayee, who passed out from Vijaya Institute of Medical Sciences, was studying for her Master of Public Health in the University of Wolverhampton in Britain.
Police was not ready to reveal more details of the murder, but Jyothirmayee’s parents said in Vijayawada that some blacks were behind the killing. “Another student from AP informed us that some black men had attacked the house and hit her on the head,” said Mr Saibabu. “We were also told that another girl is in coma after suffering serious injuries. We are awaiting more information.” Mr Saibabu, a former member of Telugu Desam who was involved in the film distribution business, was in a state of shock. “I can’t believe that my child has been killed,” he said.
He has two daughters, Jyothirmayee and Deepti. The younger one is studying in the Siddartha college of Engineering. “I used to chat with her everyday,” said Deepti, with tears rolling down her eyes.
Jyothirmayee was sent to Britain by the Hyderabad-based consultant firm, Overseas Education for You. “Her parents paid the full fee in advance so that she would not have to work to pay for her education,” said Lakshmi, her cousin.
It was her grandparents, Drakshayani and Ramakrishnaiah, who had brought up Jyothirmayee and they rushed to the small house in Lambadipeta after hearing the news.
Former MLA, Mr Adusumilli Jayaprakash, who is a close friend of Mr Saibabu, also reached the house and consoled the family members. He brought to the issue to the notice of local MP Mr Lagadapati Rajagopal, who is presently in the United States. The MP’s office was in touch with the Indian consulate office in Birmingham and the Telugu European Association of London. The president of the association, Mr Ramulu and the secretary, Ms Peddi Nirmala, are making arrangements to bring Jyothirmayee’s body to India.
Meanwhile, the West Midlands police has launched a murder inquiry and said it will carry out forensic tests in the hostel. A post-mortem examination of the murder victim would also be conducted. Sources in the Indian high commission said that the West Midlands police had requested for an interpreter to interview the injured man. Sleuths are also carrying out house to house inquiries in the area.