Investigation into the murder of 2 Indian students continues

Washington, Dec 19 (UNI) The task force investigating the murder of two Indian doctoral students of Louisiana State University (LSU) have received several calls from tipsters, since the sketches of two men wanted for questioning in the December 13 killings were released on Monday.

While those calls are appreciated, investigators believe there are still people who know something about the shootings but are not calling, say a local daily quoting Baton Rouge police spokesman Sgt Don Kelly, adding, ''We need that information.'' The local daily says the men were seen along with possibly two other men, at Edward Gay Apartments on last Thursday when Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma(31), a biology student from Kurnool and Kiran Kumar Allam (33), a chemistry student from Hyderabad, were killed.

Investigators are asking people to help them find those men. They believe the men were scouting for an opportunity to rob someone and might have seen Mr Komma arrive at Edward Gay Apartments to visit his friend Mr Allam.

Mr Allam lived at the complex with his pregnant wife. Mr Komma, who was possibly followed into the apartment, lived off campus with his wife.

While those efforts have yielded the sketches and other tips, investigators are still encouraging people to provide them with more information, Mr Kelly said.

Residents at Edward Gay Apartments are keeping the memories of Mr Allam and Mr Komma alive via a memorial wall at the complex.

Flowers, pastel-coloured paper and markers lined two tables yesterday, which was set up on the side of the complex's office building. Above the tables were notes about the victims taped to one of the office's outside walls.

Meanwhile, the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said the Indian-American community is shocked by the shooting of two students on the LSU campus.

USINPAC Chairman, Sanjay Puri, in a statement said, ''We as individuals and as a community mourn along with the families of Chandrashekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam. Something like this is always a tragedy, two young men struck down in the prime of their lives, but with the close-knit nature of the Indian-American community and its strong sense of family this is felt all the more keenly.'' The USINPAC hoped that the people who committed this horrible crime would be brought to swift justice, and further hopes that anyone with information that might be helpful will come forward to inform the authorities.

The USINPAC claims itself to be the political voice of 2.5 million Indian-Americans.

UNI