Washington, US: An Indian student accused of killing his girlfriend in Tucson, Arizona, was arrested in Germany while travelling to India, authorities said.

Varun Batchigari, 20, a business analytics student at the University of Arizona, is accused of murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend, Julissa Rubi Salazar, at her Tucson apartment on August 6.

According to the Tucson Police Department (TPD), Batchigari travelled to Tucson International Airport after the alleged killing and boarded a flight to Germany, intending to continue his journey to India.

Detectives subsequently obtained an arrest warrant charging him 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 took Salazar's cellphone and credit cards after the killing and sent several text messages to her mother while pretending to be Salazar, apparently in an attempt to conceal the crime.

The messages reportedly alarmed Salazar's family, who requested a welfare check. Police officers responding to the request found her body inside the apartment.

Local media reports said the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) was called at around 4 pm on August 6 following a report of a cardiac arrest. Firefighters found Salazar dead on the floor, with a blanket pulled up to her neck.

The TFD crew noticed strangulation marks and scratches on her neck and contacted Tucson police.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by KOLD-TV, Batchigari had previously been the subject of an assault investigation by the University of Arizona Police Department.

Investigators also interviewed witnesses who said Salazar had moved out after experiencing problems with Batchigari in late 2025. She had reportedly planned to end the relationship because of what witnesses described as a history of domestic violence.

The warrant contains further allegations from several witnesses about Batchigari's previous violent behaviour. One witness alleged that he sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party, although she said she did not report the incident to police.

Federal records reviewed by Fox News indicated that Batchigari remained in lawful immigration status when the alleged murder occurred, despite reports that he had been expelled from the University of Arizona.

Batchigari is currently awaiting extradition to Arizona, where he is expected to be booked at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on the charges outlined in the warrant.