By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : Stepping up their hunt for the killers of two Indian students at a US university, investigators followed potential leads, some of them received after release of sketches of two of the four black male suspects.
One of them may have been the driver of a getaway car seen speeding away from Edward Gay Apartments in Baton Rouge where Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33 were found shot dead Thursday night
Canvassing of the apartment complex and its surrounding area Sunday had also yielded new information, Baton Rouge police spokesman Sergeant Don Kelly said Monday after the release of sketches.
Police believe up to four men might have been involved in the killings at the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus. They apparently came in an older model light-coloured vehicle, an Oldsmobile Alero, Investigators are currently working on the theory the men were scouting for an opportunity to rob someone and might have seen Komma arrive at the complex to visit his friend Allam, and may have followed Komma into Allam’s apartment.
The driver was described as being a black man in his 20s with hair done in twists in rows. He was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt.
The second suspect was described as a black man in his 20s or 30s, possibly older. He is between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall with a muscular build and a receding hairline. He was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark jeans.
Both men were seen at the on-campus complex near West Roosevelt Street as early as 9 p.m. Thursday, Kelly said. They might have been in the general area even earlier.
Komma and Allam were shot in the head, and one was bound. A call to 911 was made at 10:37 p.m. Thursday when their bodies were found.
“These suspects should obviously be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached,” police said seeking information from the public. The sketches have been also posted on the university website www.lsu.edu.
Meanwhile, Baton Rouge city’s Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden assured two Indian diplomats that every possible step is being taken to bring the killers to justice.
The diplomats Alok Pandey, first secretary at the Indian embassy in Washington and K.P. Pillai, consul at the mission in Houston met the mayor and Chief of Police Jeff LeDuff Monday to learn more about the progress in investigations.
Holden urged local residents to cooperate with police. “The other day, it was somebody else. Today or tomorrow, it could be you,” he said at a news conference.
Holden said his administration is working with LSU to help make sure international students and everyone else on campus is safe.
Pillai said the double slaying shook whole of India because about 80,000 Indians study at American universities.
Indians make up the largest portion of LSU’s international student body. During the fall 2007 semester, 1,468 international students, 332 of whom are from India, enrolled at the university.
Police chief Jeff LeDuff said his officers plan to take a more active role in LSU’s orientation for foreign students by providing safety tips.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and the state’s Indian American Governor-elect Bobby Jindal said they are praying for the victims, their families and everyone else who has been affected by the killings, according to the Advocate, a local newspaper.
“I know the police are continuing their investigation to ensure that whoever committed these horrible crimes is swiftly brought to justice,” said Jindal.
Blanco urged LSU as well as other higher education entities statewide to review their campus safety plans. “We must continue this effort, including regular testing of communication systems to ensure adequate notification is in place to keep our students and faculty safe,” she said.
LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe said Monday the 75-person LSU Police Department is beefing up visibility, while the Baton Rouge Police Department is increasing its presence along the north side of campus.
Enhanced graduate and married student housing is also in the works, he said.Exact plans are being worked out and will be announced in the coming months.