A 30-year-old Indian man was stabbed to death by another Indian man while travelling in a public bus in Austin, Texas, police said on Tuesday.
Austin Police Department (APD) said the incident happened on the evening of May 14, according to news agency PTI. Officers and emergency medical services received an alert call of someone being shot or stabbed on a bus and rushed to the site immediately.
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However, they could only find the deceased, Akshay Gupta’s, body with signs of trauma.
Officials said they attempted emergency life-saving measures, but Gupta was pronounced dead on the scene. The suspect was identified as a 31-year-old Indian man, Deepak Kandel.
Initial investigation has revealed that the suspect was seated next to Gupta on the bus when he allegedly stabbed the deceased in his neck without provocation. Kandel also reportedly exited the vehicle in a “calm” manner with fellow passengers.
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The accused, Kandel, was located and detained by Austin police within a short time, and he confessed to stabbing Gupta as he “resembled his uncle.” He was booked into the Travis County Jail and has been charged with 1st Degree Murder.
Indians killed/attacked abroad
According to the Indian government, eighty-six Indian nationals were attacked or killed in various countries in 2023.
Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh informed Parliament last December that of the 86 Indian nationals attacked or murdered in 2023, 12 were in the United States, and 10 each were in Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
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“The safety and security of Indians abroad is one of the foremost priorities for the government of India. Our missions and posts remain vigilant and closely monitor any untoward incident. Such incidents are immediately taken up with the concerned authorities of the host country to ensure that the cases are properly investigated and the perpetrators are punished,” said Kirti Vardhan Singh.
