‘Deeply disturbed’: US condemns brutal attack on Telangana student in Indiana

Two days after an Indian student was stabbed in Valparaiso city in the US state of Indiana, the State Department has expressed regret over the incident, ANI reported.

Varun Raj Pucha, a computer science student at Valparaiso University, was stabbed in the head at a public gym on October 29. The Telangana native is currently on life support at a hospital.

Authorities said that the assailant in the case has been identified as 24-year-old Jordan Andrade. He told the police he found Pucha "little weird" and a threat to him and that he “just reacted” upon it, according to PTI.

On Thursday, the US State Department said they are “deeply disturbed” by the incident.

"We are deeply disturbed by reports of a brutal attack against Indian graduate student Varun Raj Pucha. We wish him a full recovery from his injuries. We defer to local law enforcement for any questions about this ongoing case," a State Department spokesperson told ANI.

Meanwhile, the police said that Andrade has been arrested and is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty before the court, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Pucha's father, P Ram Murthy, on Wednesday, told PTI that he was informed about the incident by his son's roommate.

“We got information from my son's roommate that he (my son) has been attacked by one person and that he has been admitted to a hospital and that his condition is critical,” he said.

Pucha's family added that he had been pursuing a Master's in Computer Science and left for the US in August 2022. He was expected to return home in Khamam next year.

"We want justice for our child," Pucha's aunt said, adding that the attacker should be handed stern punishment.

In a statement, Valparaiso University said that they are “shocked and saddened” by the incident.

“We are shocked and saddened by the attack on Varun Raj Pucha. At Valparaiso University, we consider each other family, and this incident is horrifying for us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of his friends and family,” Jose Padilla, the university’s president, said in a statement, according to Chicago Tribune.

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