Body of Andhra Software Engineer killed in US brought home

HYDERABAD, Jan 20 (IANS) The body of Akshay Vishal, a techie who was shot dead in Arkansas last week, was flown from the United States.


The last rites of the 26-year-old were later performed at a crematorium here. Dozens of grieving relatives and friends attended the funeral.

Earlier, Akshay's parents and other family members broke down on seeing his body. "I thank the employees of Satyam in the US who made the arrangements for sending his body," Akshay's father N. Lakshmana Murthy told reporters while crying inconsolably.

Akshay, a software engineer of scam-hit Satyam Computer Services, was shot dead by unidentified people in Little Rock in Arkansas on Jan 13. He was on contract with a US company Jet Falcon.

The techie was shot in the legs and he died due to excessive bleeding. Arkansas state police later arrested one Brandon Johnson, 20, on the suspicion that he killed Akshay. Robbery is suspected to be the motive behind the killing.

Murthy, an employee of state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), said the Arkansas police had not informed them either about the arrest of the suspect or the motive behind the murder.

Leaders of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also called on the parents of Akshay to convey their condolences. BJP state president Bandaru Dattatreya voiced his concern over the series of killings of Andhra students and professionals in the US and demanded that the government of India take up the issue with US authorities to ensure their safety.

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