Indian-origin kills Nepalese student in US

An alleged robbery attempt by a 52-year-old Indian-origin man escalated to a Nepalese student being shot dead in Houston, United States, on August 26 (Central Daylight Time - CDT).

Police had initiated a probe after this incident and apprehended the accused, Bobby Singh Shah on August 28 (CDT). He is now charged with murder today.

Muna Pandey, 21, was reportedly enrolled at the Houston Community College, following which she moved to the US in 2021 and was residing in an apartment.

In CCTV footage released following Pandey’s death by the investigating authorities, Shah was spotted outside her apartment, armed with a gun. Based on this, he was intercepted at a traffic signal.

Pandey’s body was found in her apartment on the day of her murder around 5.30 pm. She was declared dead by the authorities who arrived at the scene.

Before her death, Pandey’s family back home in Nepal was reportedly contacting her for days but were unable to.

In a bid to meet her deceased daughter, Pandey’s mother has been making attempts through the Consulate to facilitate her travel arrangements. A GoFundMe page for the same purpose, as well as to cover her funeral expenses, has also been created.

It has raised around $30,000 (₹25.16 lakh) till now.

Pandey’s friend and former roommate, Orusha Niraula, has demanded justice on her social media page, “We demand justice for Muna Pandey, my dear friend and former roommate, who was tragically taken from us.”

“As we grieve this immense loss, my thoughts are with her family, especially her mother. Muna deserves to be remembered for the incredible person she was, and we will continue to fight for the justice she deserves. May her soul rest in peace,” her post added.