By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : As a four-agency task force stepped up its hunt for the killers of two Indian students at a US university with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it was still to zero in on the motive for the crime.
The two Ph.D. students, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, of Hyderabad, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33, of Kurnool, were found shot dead at the Louisiana State University (LSU) apartments at Baton Rouge Thursday night.
Stepping up outside patrols and seeking evidence, officers Saturday knocked on all doors to interview residents at the Edward Gay Apartments where the two students were fatally shot in the head, Baton Rouge police Sergeant Don Kelly told local media.
The officers of the task force – made up of the LSU Police Department, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office – also continued interviews with the wives and families of the slain students and searched their homes and cars for evidence.
As investigations continued, Indian consul general in Houston S.M. Gavai told IANS on phone: “Police has some leads, but they have not been able to identify the prime suspects yet.”
He spoke to the LSU chancellor Sean O’Keefe and was told, “FBI is also involved in the investigations besides the police of the university and the state.”
The Indian ambassador to the US, Ronen Sen, too spoke to O’Keefe and was assured that police were doing everything to apprehend the killers. Sen in turn assured him of all help in investigating the crime. He also spoke to the spouses of the two slain students.
Authorities are still looking for three men who were seen hurriedly leaving Allam’s apartment Thursday night and entering a car driven by another man, who drove into a nearby neighbourhood, Kelly said.
Police planned to hand out fliers seeking information about the shootings and hoped to talk to people who live along the streets the car drove down.
“Everything that can be done right now is being done,” said Kelly, spokesman of the task force formed Friday. “There is no shortage of resources being donated to the case.”
The task force has not definitively determined a motive in the slayings, Kelly said, adding there was “not enough information available right now to rule anything in or out”.
Two LSU Police officers stood guard outside Allam’s apartment and the victims’ families have not been allowed inside, Kelly said. Authorities are in the process of inventorying the apartment – where no forced entry was found – to see if anything is missing.
Police have determined that there are some items in the apartment that could be unaccounted for, but were would not elaborate.
Meanwhile, two Indian diplomats Alok Pandey and K.P. Pillai had a series of meetings in Baton Rouge Saturday with the university authorities, police department, the Indian Students Association and the Indian-American community.
They also met O’Keefe who told them that LSU is working to support the victims’ families and assist in transporting their remains back to India. During the meeting, Indian officials also reviewed the task force’s efforts in investigating the killings.
The autopsy of the two students has been completed, Pandey said. The bodies will be flown to India after embalming as requested by the victims’ families.
The LSU Foundation has established the Komma & Allam Support Fund to assist the students’ families.
LSU said it has resolved problems with its emergency notification system and assured that all LSU students, faculty and staff members who opt for it, or have previously done so, will automatically receive text notifications. LSU is also planning a full-scale test of the system Jan 18, which is the first week of classes in the spring.
“This tragic and horrible event is a grim reminder that in every community in which we live, there are dangers,” O’Keefe said. “When those dangers arise, it is important that we communicate effectively.”