Varun Batchigari, a 20-year-old Indian national, has been accused of murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend, Julissa Salazar, in Tucson, Arizona. According to federal law enforcement sources, Batchigari entered the United States on an F-1 student visa on January 8, 2024. After the alleged murder, he attempted to flee to India but was arrested in Germany following an FBI alert.
Batchigari is charged with first-degree murder after Salazar was found strangled in an off-campus apartment near the University of Arizona. Authorities allege he stole her cellphone and credit cards and sent messages to her mother pretending to be Salazar, which raised concerns and led to a welfare check that discovered her body.
A felony warrant indicates a history of escalating violence and personal issues in their relationship. Witnesses reported that Salazar had moved out due to problems with Batchigari and intended to end the relationship due to prior incidents of domestic violence. Batchigari had previously faced an assault investigation and had been expelled from the University of Arizona.
Despite his expulsion, federal records show Batchigari maintained lawful immigration status at the time of the murder, although it is unclear why his status had not changed given the circumstances. The Tucson Police Department has not provided further updates, and inquiries to the University of Arizona regarding Batchigari's enrollment and Salazar's student status have not yet received a response.