‘Suspect who shot Indian techie at US restaurant killed in police encounter’

WASHINGTON/HYDERABAD:THE man accused of killing an Indian software engineer at a restaurant in Missouri was shot dead in an encounterwiththepolicesunday afternoon, officers said. Three police officers also suffered gunshot injuries.

The suspect has not been identified yet. Police have said Sharath Koppu, who was enrolled in a master’s course at University of Missouri-kansas City (UMKC) and was working part-time at the restaurant, was killed in an attempted robbery on July 6.

The alleged shooter was spotted driving Sunday, Kansas City police chief Rick Smith told reporters. “This is the first time we laid eyes on him.”

UMKC’S Indian-american chancellor C Mauli Agrawal said in a statement, “...I want to express our gratitude to all of the brave first responders involved in today’s events, especially the three injured officers, along with our hopes for their speedy and full recovery. These public servants risked their lives to pursue justice for our murdered student, Sharath Koppu.”

The family of the 25-year-old Indian student expressed happiness over the killing of the suspect. “We received the information about the shooting down of my son’s killer. We are happy that justice was done to my son so quickly. But that does not bring back my innocent son alive. He became the victim for no fault of his. But justice prevailed at last,” Sharath’s father, Ram Mohan Koppu, an employee with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), at Ameerpet in Hyderabad, said.

He said his wife was yet to recover from the shock and her condition was still alarming.