HYDERABAD: The body of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the Indian engineer, who was shot dead in the US in an apparent hate crime incident, arrived at the international airport here on Monday night.
The body was taken to his residence in Bachupally soon after it arrived at Shamsabad. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at his house with parents and other family members breaking down on seeing the body. Srinivas ‘s wife Sunayna and another friend accompanied the body.
Elder members of the family were taken away after they catched a glimpse of Srinivas. “Srinivas was the first among three brothers to go to USA. He was a bright student. Earlier anyone would not hesitate to go there. Now , I caution people to be aware of security and job prospects there before taking a decision,” said Sambhu Prasad, an uncle of Srinivas.
Transport minister P Mahender Reddy, Malkajgiri MP M Malla Reddy and others were present at the airport to receive the body. The body was taken to Srinivas’ house in Bachupally in an ambulance. The cremation is scheduled to be held at Jubilee Hills on Tuesday afternoon.
Srinivas (32), working at the Garmin headquarters in Olathe, was killed in the shooting on Wednesday night. Another Indian and his colleague Alok Madasani was injured in the incident.
The incident took place at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe in Kansas City in the US. Ian Grillot, an American, was injured when he tried to tackle the accused, Adam Purinton (51).
Meanwhile, a teary-eyed Alok Madasani, who is now on the support of crutches, remembered his nine-year friendship with Srinivas. “He was a kind person, full of love, care and compassion for everyone. He never uttered a word of hatred, a simple gossip, or a careless comment. What happened that night was a senseless crime and that took away my best friend,” Alok, who was at a prayer along with hundreds of people in the US, said.
“The main reason I am here is because that’s what my best friend, Srinivas, would have done. It’s hard to believe he is not with me, not with us anymore. What happened that night is something we all wish didn’t happen,’’ Alok said.