India demands probe into murder of Indian national in South Africa

Judicial inquiry sought into murder
A native of Arepalli village near Warangal, 28-year old software engineer, Kiran Buddhe, was returning from his workplace in Johannesburg with Venkat Sridhar, another professional from Andhra Pradesh.

Buddhe was attacked by two armed assailants who also snatched away his laptop.

He was fired four bullets by the robbers out of which two hit him in the thigh and two in his stomach.

Although, his condition was stable when he was admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg, however, it deteriorated later and he died on Tuesday, July 7.

Meanwhile, his accomplice and friend Sridhar is recovering in the hospital.

“We have asked the Police Commissioner here to conduct a full investigation and have also taken up the matter with the Government,” said Arvinda Nanwell, the Indian Vice Consul.

Nanwell stated that an Indian national has become the target of violent attack for the first time in South Africa.

However, he refuted the claim that the assault was the result of any racial attack confirming that it was only a robbery.

"It was merely a robbery gone wrong.

"There have been minor incidents in the past but this is the first time that someone has succumbed to a violent attack," said Nanwell.