The body of Sharath Koppu, an Indian student from Telangana, who was shot and killed last week during an attempted robbery in Kansas City in the US, arrived home on Wednesday night.
The body arrived at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) and it was received by family members. It was later shifted to Warangal, where the last rites would be performed on Friday.
Former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and other politicians were present, to console the family, even as police deployed heavy security with Cyberabad Commissioner VC Sajjanar also present at the airport.
Sharath Koppula, who was studying in University of Missouri, Kansas City, was critically injured when a man fired at him at J's Fish and Chicken Market located at 5412 Prospect Ave in the city. He was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Sharath hailed from Warangal town. After completing his engineering at the Vasavi College of Engineering in Hyderabad, he was employed at a software firm in the city. He moved to the US to do an MS this year.
An eyewitness who worked at the restaurant, told the local Kansas City media that the suspect pulled out a gun and demanded money from the restaurant owner.
People present in the restaurant ducked for cover and Sharath tried to run towards the back of the store, which was when the suspect shot him in the back.
The Kansas police have announced a reward of $10,000 for any information of the suspect and also published his visuals and said that he was seen in a brown and white shirt.
“Anyone who recognizes this suspect is encouraged to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) or through the P3 app or at www.kccrimestoppers.com,” the Kansas police stated in a press release.
Earlier in the week, Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao met with the family of the deceased at their Hyderabad residence along with state minister Srinivas Yadav and Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari. Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan was also present.
"Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his anguish at the death and instructed his ministers to immediately visit the family of the deceased. We are in touch with the Chicago Consulate as well as our officers here. We asked his parents to stay strong and assured them of our support," KTR told reporters after the meeting.