U.S. assures India of ‘speedy justice’ to hate crime victims

The United States on Monday assured India of “speedy justice” to the Indian-American victims of hate-related crimes. India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Navtej Sarna reached out to the State Department to convey his “deep concerns” to the government on the recent tragic incidents involving Harnish Patel and Deep Rai.

“State Department, on behalf of the U.S. government, expressed condolences and assured they are working with all agencies concerned to ensure speedy justice,” the Indian Embassy in the U.S. said in a series of tweets.

Patel, 43, an owner of a convenience store in Lancaster County, South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds in his home on Thursday. Rai, 39-year-old Sikh, had been shot outside his home by a partially-masked gunman who shouted “go back to your own country.”.

Mr. Sarna also “underlined” the need to prevent such incidents and protect the Indian community. The Indian Embassy officials are in constant communication with local police officials in both the cases.

“We will remain in touch with them,” an Indian Embassy source said.

Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed on February 22 by a Navy veteran who opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling “get out of my country”.

The FBI has joined the investigation into the shooting of Mr. Rai, a U.S. national of Indian origin. “The Seattle FBI is assisting the Kent Police Department through a joint investigation of the shooting incident. The FBI remains committed to investigating crimes that are potentially hate-motivated and we continue to work with all our community partners in the Seattle area,” FBI Seattle Spokesperson Ayn Dietrich said.