London (PTI): The family of Indian student Samrajya Jyothirmai Vempala, who was battered to death in Birmingham on May 6, has praised the UK judicial system for the pace at which the killer was brought to justice.

Vempala was beaten with a 5kg iron dumb bell bar at her home by fellow Indian student Nagaraja Kumar Nalluri, when she did not respond to his claims of being in love with her.

Nalluri was sentenced to life imprisonment last week, and was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years in jail before being considered for parole.

Vempala's family, who travelled from Vijaywada and sat through court proceedings at the Birmingham Crown Court, praised the British judicial system for the speed at which Nalluri was convicted and sentenced.

Vempala's father, Saibabu, said he sent her to the UK for studies, but "I never imagined that her dead body would be returning home".

Detective Chief Insp Rick Burgess, who led the case, said, "The victim's father commented to us about how much faith he had in the British justice system and how he felt justice had been done in a timely manner."

"It was very difficult for Jyothi's parents to have to sit in court and listen to the details of a very brutal and callous assault on their daughter," Burgess added.

Both Vempala, 23, and Nalluri were students at the Wolverhampton University. Jyothirmai was enrolled on a postgraduate degree in Health Sciences while Nalluri, who had trained with her in India, was also enrolled at the same university.