Family of Indian national killed in US seeks govt action

Family members of an Indian national, hailing from Gujarat, have sought the government's action into his killing by two unknown assailants in the United States.

Back home in Gujarat's Valsad, Desai's uncle Girish Bhai Desai on Wednesday requested the Indian government to take up the matter with U.S.

"The government of both India and the US should do something about it. Innocent people are being killed. The Indian government should take up the matter with the US government as to why Indian people are being targeted. This is third or fourth such incident in Gujarat," said Girish Bhai Desai.

Malav Desai, 28, was at a friend's shop in Florida at around 2:30 am when two robbers shot him on his head and fled with the money. Desai was the tobacco shop's care-taker after his friend was away for three days.

He was living in Florida for the past five years and is survived by his wife.

Earlier this month, a 60-year-old woman, Mridulaben Patel, from Gujarat, was shot dead by an unidentified assailant after she tried to thwart an attempt of armed robbery at a gas station in South Carolina where she worked.

Another such incident was reported in Connecticut in the US in April, when a 39-year-old Indian national Sanjay Patel was shot dead by three armed men at a gas station.