Indian-American shot dead in US

A 28-year-old Indian-American was shot dead in a park in Houston by suspected robbers.

Akhil Chopra, a computer professional and an active volunteer for the Hindu Students Council, was found dead by a passerby on a bench inside a park near his office on Thursday afternoon.

Chopra had a gunshot wound on his left temple and a bullet appeared to have grazed his forehead. His wallet was missing and no gun was found at the scene.

Police suspect, Chopra, a devout Hindu who was popular in his community, was meditating in the park when he was killed apparently for the money.

Chopra had come to the US from India in 2001 to study for a master's degree. He had been a very active member of the Indian community. Every Sunday, he was the voice of the news in Hindi for the Sanatan Radio Programme.

His friends said Chopra could have been meditating in the park near his office when the unfortunate incident happened.

"I think after lunch he went there for a moment of quietness," Ramesh Bhutada, president of Star Pipe Products, the company Chopra had worked for since 2002, said.

Police are investigating the killing. Chopra's colleagues are still in a state of shock. After he did not return from lunch on Thursday, his supervisor Girish Naik decided to see if he was at home and left the office to find him.

On the way, he received a call that Chopra's car had been seen at the park.