Indian dental student shot in the head in California's Albany after temple visit

Los Angeles, March: A 37-year-old Indian woman dental student, who has been found dead in the US city of Albany, was shot in the head but there were no signs of a forced entry into her apartment, police have said.

Randhir Kaur was found dead in her apartment in Kains Avenue about 4 pm on March 8 in Albany, California State.

Ms Kaur was shot sometime after she attended afternoon prayers at a Sikh temple, police said.

Ms Kaur was a student at the University of California San Francisco. She had enrolled in the International Dentist Programme with an anticipated June 2016 graduation date.

Police believe she was killed sometime after she arrived home the evening of March 8.

"She was shot once in the head inside her apartment," police said.

Detectives found no signs of forced entry into her apartment or foul play. Her car, a 1999 Toyota, was found parked and locked at her residence, police said.

Despite a week-long focus on evidence collection and pursuing investigative leads no arrests have been made and no suspects have been identified, it said.

Today, police found personal items belonging to Ms Kaur inside a trash receptacle in the 5200 block of Panama Avenue in Richmond, roughly two miles away from Ms Kaur's apartment.

Experts from the Alameda County sheriff's crime laboratory have been called to assist in the investigation, which police said is a standard practice for any homicide in the city.

Two additional investigators have been assigned to the case, bringing the total number of full-time investigators to six, along with several part-time personnel, police said.

Police are asking for the public's help, particularly those who live on or frequent Kains Avenue in Albany or Panama Avenue in Richmond, in providing any information about suspicious people or activities on March 8 in those areas.

PTI