The manager of a Birmingham restaurant has described the 'devastating' moment staff learned of the death of a friend and colleague. Anisha Chakraborty, 28, an international student from India, worked at the Jimmy Spice's buffet chain on Broad Street in the city centre. She was killed after being struck by a black Audi RSQ8 on Dartmouth Middleway early on Saturday, May 30.
Manager breaks the news
Shefali Karulkar, Anisha's manager at the restaurant, discovered the shocking news on Sunday, May 31, just hours before other staff were due to arrive. She waited until the end of the day to share the 'devastating' information with her team.
Shefali told BirminghamLive: 'When I found out, it was in the middle of operations so I waited until the end to tell staff. It was devastating, it was a really bad day for the entire staff. I didn't want everyone to be upset, only the managers knew about it. If I had told a staff of 20 people instantly, it would have been horrendous for everyone. At the end of the day, I told everyone and broke the news. We had time to mourn and we prayed for her.'
Arrest and appeal
A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs. He has since been released on bail. West Midlands Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to come forward.
Shefali has launched an appeal to repatriate Anisha's body and cover funeral costs, raising more than £2,500 so far. She said: 'We were devastated and thought of ways to help Anisha. I spoke to her father and her sister-in-law who aren't in the country, it's difficult for them to get over and not that easy.'
Police statement
West Midlands Police said: 'We are appealing for anyone who was in the area who may have witnessed the collision, or any drivers who may have dash cam footage, to get in touch with us. You can get in touch with us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 quoting log 460 of May 30. You can also contact the SCIU team by emailing sciu@westmidlands.police.uk.'
