An Indian-origin entrepreneur was fatally stabbed by a fellow Indian man aboard the moving public bus in Austin on May 14.
The victim, 30-year-old Akshay Gupta, was seated when he was fatally attacked by Deepak Kandel, 31, according to a statement from the Austin Police Department (APD). The attack occurred without warning or provocation.
"Kandel stabbed Gupta in the neck," the APD said in its release. "Kandel calmly exited the vehicle with the other passengers" after the bus came to a stop.
According to the KXAN network, CCTV footage showed Gupta quietly sitting at the back of the bus, looking down and not interacting with anyone. Then, without any warning, the attacker suddenly stood up, raised a butcher-style knife above his head, and stabbed Gupta.
Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but Gupta was pronounced dead at the scene. Police located and arrested Kandel nearby shortly after. During questioning, Kandel confessed to the murder, bizarrely claiming he committed the act because Gupta "resembled his uncle."
"Officers responded to a 'Shoot/Stab' call and located Gupta with trauma to his body," APD reported.
Kandel has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held in Travis County Jail.
Gupta was a rising star in the health-tech startup space. He co-founded FootBit in Austin, a company dedicated to helping senior citizens improve mobility and balance. A Master’s graduate from Penn State, Gupta had been personally invited by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for his groundbreaking innovation.
He had recently turned down a $300,000 job offer from Amazon to continue building his startup and had received the prestigious O-1A visa, awarded to individuals with extraordinary abilities in science.
Source: India Today