Indian engineer, shot dead in Kansas bar, cremated in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The last rites of Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was shot dead in the US last week in a suspected hate crime, were performed on Tuesday at Jubilee Hills.

The shooting incident has raised fears for the safety of Indians abroad.

The mortal remains of the slain 32-year-old were flown in here late on Monday from Kansas where he was shot in a bar while another Indian and an American, who tried to intervene, were wounded.

It was brought by a cargo flight, which arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at around 10 pm.

Dozens of people gathered in Hyderabad today for the Kuchibhotla.

Friends stood around Kuchibhotla`s body which was garlanded with flowers ahead of his last rites, while some relatives wiped away tears, television footage showed.

Married four years ago, Kuchibhotla worked as an aviation engineer in the United States, one of the many Indians who go abroad each year in search of a better education or career prospects.

Kuchibhotla and his wife spent the initial years of their marriage living their American Dream, working, partying and travelling across the United States.

His death has raised concern about safety among members of the Indian-American community. More than 3 million Indians live in the United States, many of whom have taken part in candlelight vigils and marches in Kuchibhotla`s memory.

Alok Madasani, Kuchibhotla`s friend who was wounded in the shooting, sought to play down any implications for the safety of Indians in the United States after the "senseless crime".

"It was an isolated incident that doesn`t reflect the true spirit of Kansas, MidWest and the United States," Madasani, who was on crutches, told reporters in Kansas.