Reward offered in murder inquiry

Enayit Khalili was a popular member of the Afghan community

A £5,000 reward has been offered for help in finding the killer of a man stabbed to death in Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley Police have offered the money to help their inquiry into the death of Enayit Khalili, 26, in Oxford on 24 March.

The money will be given for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the murderer.

Mr Khalili, of Feinnes Road, Rose Hill, was found at his home with a stab wound in his stomach and died in hospital.

This is a tragic murder that will continue to be thoroughly investigated Det Insp Colin Seaton

He came to the UK from Afghanistan as an asylum seeker in 2001, and was granted indefinite leave to stay.

He was a cleaner for the Cowley and St Aldates police stations in Oxford and worked at a local restaurant.

A police spokesperson said he was a reliable and hard worker who sent money home to his family.

The "challenging" murder inquiry has been helped by people from Oxford, particularly the Afghan community, police have confirmed.

'Tragic murder'

Det Insp Colin Seaton, from the major crime unit, said: "We are following a number of strong lines of enquiry in Oxford and other parts of the UK; this is still a very active investigation."

Thames Valley Police have issued a poster in English and Dari, the Afghan dialect, advertising the reward.

It features a picture of Mr Khalili taken at Ladbrokes Bookmakers in Rosehill, Oxford, in the week before his death.

He was found with serious injuries in the early hours of the morning of 24 March and died later that evening.

Det Insp Seaton said: "He was a sociable person and had many friends and associates.

"He liked to gamble and could often be seen in Bookmakers in Oxford and Cowley, and often played sport, particularly volleyball at Marsh Park.

"This is a tragic murder that will continue to be thoroughly investigated.

"It has devastated Enayit's family and friends, and shocked not just the Afghan community but all the communities in Oxford and further afield."