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A 24-year-old Indian student has been stabbed in the U.S. state of Indiana and is said to be in a critical condition, according to a media report.

Varun was stabbed with a knife into the temple by the assailant Jordan Andrad, 24, at a public gym in the Valparaiso city of Indiana on Sunday morning for reasons that the authorities are still investigating, reported NWIU Times.

Following the incident, the attacker was arrested and is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.

“Varun was attacked with a knife by his attacker. He was ultimately taken to a Fort Wayne hospital due to the severity of his injury and was reportedly given a zero to five per cent chance of survival. Varun’s condition is said to be serious after the violent attack,” the report said.

The attacker Andrade told the police that he had requested a massage that morning and walked into the massage room to find the other man, whom he did not know but found “a little weird.”

Determining the other man posed a threat, Andrade said he made sure to react the “right way,” according to a charging document.

“Andrade then described (the man) as a threat to him so he, ‘just reacted,'” police said.

New York:

A Hindu temple in the US State of California has been raided by burglars who stole a donation box from the premises, leaving the Indian community in a state of shock.

The incident took place on Monday at the Hari Om Radha Krishna Mandir in the Parkway neighbourhood, at about 2:15 am, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reported.

The Sacramento Police Department is investigating the burglary at the Hindu Temple.

Police did not disclose what was stolen, but dispatch audio indicated a donation collection box was taken.

Dispatchers told people that six suspects were seen on the grounds through surveillance video, including two who were inside the temple, when police were called, the report added.

Police said no arrests have been made, but the incident remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, condemning the incident, the US-based advocacy organisation Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has asked the Sacramento Police to take this issue very seriously and investigate it as a potential hate crime.

“Disturbing news from Sacramento, California where a #HinduTemple has been broken into. We ask @SacPolice to take this issue very seriously and investigate it as a potential hate crime and the violation of a sacred space. Police are asking for public help in identifying the suspects,” they posted on X.

Guru Maharaj and his wife were at home when they received an alert.

“The first thing I saw was the curtains blowing and I said, ‘Oh, my God. Somebody is in the building,’ ” Maharaj’s wife was quoted as saying by the CBS news.

As footage from the temple showed, someone tried to break through three doors and a car.

“They went right through to the donation box in darkness,” Maharaj said.

The footage shows the thieves lifting the box up and carrying it out behind the building. They hoisted the box, which reportedly weighed close to 100 pounds, over the fence then shoved it in a getaway car and took off.

“It’s a very big hit to our community and we’re here to help people out,” Maharaj said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The US government has assured India of a quick and fair investigation into the death of Andhra Pradesh student Jaahnavi Kandula in an accident in Seattle, reports news agency PTI. The Indian student was killed after being hit by a speeding police car in January.

A video released by Seattle Police Department showing a cop laughing while talking about the accident has sparked outrage. The US government swung into action after Indian consulate raised the issue and sought action against those responsible for Jaahnavi Kandula’s death and also those heard joking on the video.

.. for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case.
The Consulate & Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities.@IndianEmbassyUS@MEAIndia

— India in SF (@CGISFO) September 13, 2023

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the deadly crash and also says that there was no need for a criminal investigation against his colleague Kevin Dave, who was driving the car.

US lawmakers and Indian-Americans have expressed outrage over the death of Kandula and the video.

“Jaahnavi Kandula came here for graduate work from India. She was killed on a crosswalk by a speeding police car, and officer Auderer said her life had ‘limited value.’ I thought of my dad who came here in his 20s. Mr. Auderer, the life of every Indian immigrant has infinite value,” Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said.

“Anyone who thinks that a human life has “limited value” should not be serving in law enforcement,” Khanna said.

Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said: “This is appalling. I hope to see justice for Jaahnavi Kandula’s family and accountability for those involved.”

In a letter to the Kandula family, Seattle City Mayor Bruce Harrell said that the comments made by one person do not reflect the feelings of the city or the communities that call it home.

“We recognise that Jaahnavi’s death is a loss for our whole community – the loss of a young woman who had so much life ahead of her to do amazing things and share that joy with loved ones,” Harrell said in his communication to the Kandula family.

Senior administration officials are believed to have assured India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, that the entire incident has been taken very seriously by them.

They are monitoring its investigation from Washington DC the progress of the case to ensure that there is adequate accountability.

(With PTI inputs)