Two days after 25-year-old Mysuru man Abhishek Sudesh Bhat was shot dead in California in the United States, police have arrested a suspect after he himself turned him in. The accused has been identified as 42-year-old Eric Devon Turner, reported San Bernardino Sun.
The reason or motive for the crime is yet to be ascertained. San Bernardino police are yet to give a formal statement other than the arrest was made after Eric turned himself in.
Abhishek was studying for his Masters degree in Computer Science from California State University (CSU) in San Bernardino and worked part-time in a motel. Multiple reports said that Abhishek was killed as he had objected to Eric overstaying on his property.
His colleagues in the establishment had found him lying in a pool of blood at around 11:30 pm local time.
It was earlier reported that he had completed a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Vidya Vikas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Mysuru and had shifted to the US around 18 months ago to pursue higher education.
He was resident of Kuvempunagar in Mysuru and is survived by his family comprising of his father Sudesh Chand, who is a yoga instructor at the Upanishad Yoga Centre in Kuvempunagar, and mother, Nandini Aithal, who is a housewife.
Speaking to Star of Mysore, “After killing Abhishek, the killer fled towards Los Angeles in a vehicle and efforts are on to nab him,” Ramnath, a member of the family said.
He added that the local police in the US have informed the family that the post mortem procedures will take another eight days and further details about the cause of death will only emerge after December 9.
The family was visited by Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Saturday who assured that the government will help in every possible way. The family has expressed their wish to carry out the final rites there itself but they are yet to be given a go-ahead by the US and Indian authorities.
Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha had also offered help and assured that he had held talks with top leaders of the government to expedite the family’s passage to the US.