New Delhi/Washington:
India has conveyed its “deep concerns” to the US government over recent tragic incidents involving Indian-origin people including Hardish Patel who was shot dead in South Carolina.
“Amb @NavtejSarna convyd r deep concerns to US Gov on recent tragic incidents involving Hardish Patel & Deep Rai,” Embassy of India in Washington tweeted today.
“Amb @NavtejSarna underlined need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community,” it said in another tweet.
39-year-old Sikh man, Deep Rai, in the US has been shot outside his home by a partially-masked gunman who shouted “go back to your own country”, in a suspected hate crime.
Read | FBI joins Kent shooting probe, Bera says hate crimes on rise
American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC), a body governing various Sikh Gurdwaras (religious shrines) across the United States has expressed serious concern over the recent incident and asked the investigating authorities to give a clarification if the incident was a ‘hate crime’.
"No doubt it was non-fatal incident and the police and FBI both are investigating the shooting in which 39 year old targeted on Kent's East Hill. The victim was performing some repairs to his stranded vehicle when he was approached by another man and opened fire. We want to know from the investigating agencies if it was the case of hate crime and we seek thorough probe and action as per U.S. law'', said AGPC coordinator Dr Pritlal Singh.
Speaking to ANI during a special prayer held for Kent shooting victim, a Washington resident, Mandeep Singh said, “It’s the same situation the community was in after Sikhs were targeted post 9/11. There is deep concern.”
Harnish Patel, 43, Indian-origin store owner in the US was also shot dead outside his home on Thursday, just days after an Indian engineer was killed in Kansas in a hate crime shooting that had sent shockwaves across the country.
