FBI joins probe into killing of Indian students

WASHINGTON: As a fouragency task force stepped up its hunt for the killers of two Indian students at a US university with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it was still to zero in on the motive for the crime.

The two PhD students, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, 31, of Hyderabad, and Kiran Kumar Allam, 33, of Kurnool, had been found shot dead at the Louisiana State University (LSU) apartments at the Baton Rouge on Thursday night.

Stepping up outside patrols and seeking evidence, officers on Saturday knocked on all doors to interview residents at the Edward Gay Apartments where the two students were fatally shot in the head, Baton Rouge police sergeant Don Kelly told local media.

The officers of the task force — made up of the LSU Police Department, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff ’s Office — also continued interviews with the wives and families of the slain students and searched their homes and cars for evidence.

As investigations continued, Indian consul general in Houston S M Gavai said: “Police has some leads, but they have not been able to identify the prime suspects yet.”

He spoke to the LSU chancellor Sean O’Keefe and was told, “FBI is also involved in the investigations besides the police of the university and the state.”

The Indian ambassador to the US, Ronen Sen, too spoke to O’Keefe and was assured that police were doing everything to apprehend the killers. Sen in turn assured him of all help in investigating the crime. He also spoke to the spouses of the two slain students. Authorities are still looking for three men who were seen hurriedly leaving Allam’s apartment on Thursday night and entering a car driven by another man, who drove into a nearby neighbourhood, Kelly said.

Police planned to hand out fliers seeking information about the shootings and hoped to talk to people who live along the streets the car drove down.

“Everything that can be done right now is being done,” aid Kelly, spokesman of the task force formed Friday. “There is no shortage of resources being donated to the case.” The task force has not definitively determined a motive in the slayings, Kelly said, adding there was “not enough information available right now to rule anything in or out”.

Two LSU police officers stood guard outside Allam’s apartment and the victims’ families have not been allowed inside, Kelly said.