Help from govt’s side not enough, says brother of Indian-origin man killed in Germany

Prashant and Smita Basarur were attacked by their neighbour over a dispute in Munich, Germany. Prashant succumbed to his injuries, and Smita is in the ICU.
Help from govt’s side not enough, says brother of Indian-origin man killed in Germany
Help from govt’s side not enough, says brother of Indian-origin man killed in Germany

Two days after an Indian-origin husband and wife were attacked in Munich, leading to the death of the husband, their families in Karnataka have yet to reach Germany due to lack of necessary paperwork.

The couple, who hailed from Karnataka’s Udupi, was attacked by a Guinean man in Munich on Friday. 49-year-old Prashant Basarur died while his wife, Smita (43) sustained injuries and was reported to be in critical condition. The couple, both of whom are techies, had moved to Germany 15 years ago and had obtained citizenship last year.

Speaking to TNM, Prashant’s brother Prabhat said Vinaya, their mother and Smita’s parents Chandramouli and Vidya will travel to Germany, as he was denied a visa.

“They did not allow me a visa. I am with my mother at the German Consulate with my mother and the formalities are ongoing. We will most probably get done with the paperwork today (Monday) evening. And hopefully, my mother and her (Smita’s) parents can fly to Germany by tonight or tomorrow morning,” Prabhat said.

He added, “Whatever we read in papers is all an election gimmick. The help from the government’s side is not enough. The only who helped us is Jayaprakash Hegde (former Udupi- Chikkamaguluru MP). Till now, nobody has contacted -- be it from the state or central government. All political parties are making this election gimmick. Every half hour one BJP person will call saying ‘I will do this’, the next hour somebody from the Congress will call. But nobody is doing.”

Speaking about Smitha’s condition, Prabhat said they are being updated by one of Prashant’s friends there. “She (Smita) is still in ICU. Both kids are in police custody. One of my brother’s friend who is there who is giving us of the details every hour,” he said.  

Earlier on Monday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had tweeted in appreciation of the Bengaluru Regional Passport Office. Reacting to a media report stating that Sandeep’s mother Vinaya's passport had lapsed, the RPO office said that they will address the issue expeditiously.

Prabhat confirmed to TNM that Vinaya’s passport has been renewed.

Preliminary investigation into the attack on Prashant and Simta ruled out the possibility of a hate crime. The attacker, believed to be a 33-year-old immigrant from New Guinea, was arrested and the kitchen knife used to stab the couple was secured, reports said. His motive for targeting the couple remained unclear. The attacker lived in the same apartment complex and was involved in a dispute with the couple. The couple was knifed after the altercation spiralled out of control, reports said.

The accused, who was taken into custody by the police, is being tried in an Augsburg court.

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