On 14th May this year, a 30-year-old Indian entrepreneur living in Austin city in Texas State of US wasstabbedto death in a public bus. The deceased wasidentifiedas Akshay Kumar Gupta.

Gupta, who co-founded ASG Research LLC in June 2024, was travelling via a CapMetro bus. A co-passenger named Deepak Kandel (31), seated next to Akshay, stabbed him in the neck without any provocation.

Kandel walked out of the bus calmly after it came to a halt. The police were called in but the victim could not be saved despite undertaking all life-saving measures. Akshay Kumar Gupta was declared dead at 7:30 pm on 14th May.

The Austin Police Department was able to apprehend the attacker, Deepak Kandel, shortly thereafter. The accused confessed to his crime andsaidthat he stabbed the victim due to his resemblance to his uncle.

Deepak Kandel was charged with 1st Degree Murder and he was sent to Travis County Jail. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

• May 14, 2025 (~6:45 PM): Multiple 911 calls reported that a man had been stabbed on a CapMetro bus in the 500 block of South Lamar Boulevard near downtown Austin. Police and EMS arrived to find Akshay Kumar Gupta suffering from severe stab wounds. He had been attacked suddenly and without provocation by a fellow passenger while the bus was in motion.
• May 14, 2025 (~7:12 PM): The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle as panicked riders fled. The suspect – later identified as 31-year-old Deepak Kandel – had calmly walked off the bus along with other passengers and initially escaped on foot. Within about 30 minutes of the initial emergency call, Austin police, aided by witness descriptions and CapMetro safety personnel, located and arrested Kandel at a nearby business.
• May 14, 2025 (7:30 PM): Despite lifesaving attempts by first responders, Akshay Gupta was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 7:30 PM. He had been stabbed in the neck while sitting in his seat, an attack that investigators say came “without provocation” as Gupta was simply riding the bus home. After his arrest, **Kandel admitted to police that he stabbed Gupta because the victim “resembled [his] uncle,” according to the Austin Police Department.
• May 15, 2025: Austin police officially identified the victim and suspect and charged Deepak Kandel with first-degree murder. Kandel was booked into the Travis County Jail while awaiting court proceedings. In a public press release, APD confirmed the bizarre alleged motive (the victim’s resemblance to Kandel’s uncle) and noted that the case was being investigated as the city’s 25th homicide of the year. CapMetro officials expressed shock and grief at the “outrageous and devastating” attack, vowing that passenger safety is their highest priority on Austin’s transit system.
• May 16, 2025: Court records and jail documents began to shed light on the suspect’s background. A judge set Kandel’s bond at $500,000, with an order that he remain under mental health supervision while in custody. Journalists digging into Kandel’s history discovered that he had an extensive criminal record in Travis County, with more than a dozen arrests since 2016 – including multiple serious charges – and several instances where prosecutors declined to pursue those cases. These revelations raised questions about why Kandel was free at the time of the attack.
• May 17, 2025: The case sparked public criticism from law enforcement organizations. The president of the Austin Police Association voiced frustration that “soft-on-crime policies” and prosecutorial decisions had allowed a repeat offender like Kandel to remain on the streets despite his record. In response, Travis County’s chief prosecutor and county attorney pointed out that Kandel had previously been found mentally incompetent to stand trial in some cases – meaning he could not be legally prosecuted until he received treatment. “It is unconstitutional to prosecute such individuals” while they are ruled incompetent, County Attorney Delia Garza explained, highlighting the challenges of handling offenders with mental illness. Officials acknowledged systemic gaps in mental health services and vowed to seek justice in Gupta’s murder within the bounds of Texas law. The Travis County District Attorney’s office issued a statement expressing sympathy to the victim’s family and affirmed that they “look forward to working with law enforcement to prosecute this case to the extent allowed by Texas law”.
• June 12, 2025 (upcoming): Kandel’s first court hearing is scheduled for this date. He faces a charge of first-degree murder. If convicted, he could face severe penalties under Texas law. As the legal process unfolds, friends and family of Akshay Gupta are mourning the loss of a young entrepreneur remembered for his generosity and ingenuity. Gupta had co-founded a tech startup in 2024 and was beloved in his community for his “giving heart,” according to those who knew him.

Other Recent Killings of Indian Nationals in the U.S. (2024–2025)

The fatal stabbing of Akshay Gupta in Austin has underscored a disturbing trend of violent incidents involving Indian nationals in the United States. In 2024 and 2025, several Indian students and professionals in America have lost their lives in murders or attacks. Below are some other recent incidents documented in news reports:

• January 2024 (Lithonia, Georgia): 25-year-old Vivek Saini, an Indian MBA student from Haryana, was killed at the convenience store where he worked after a homeless man attacked him with a hammer for refusing to give free food. The suspect, a local transient, was later arrested and charged. Saini’s violent death shocked the Indian student community in Georgia.
• March 2024 (Boston, Massachusetts): 20-year-old Abhijit Paruchuri, an engineering student at Boston University, was found dead in his car on campus. Paruchuri was from Andhra Pradesh and had been missing for several days before his body was discovered in a wooded area of the university. The motive remains unclear – local reports suggested a possible financial dispute and theft of his laptop – and as of early 2025 the case remains under investigation with no perpetrators identified.
• November 2024 (Madison, Wisconsin): 22-year-old Sai Teja Nukarapu, an Indian MBA student, was shot dead during an armed robbery at a Wisconsin convenience store where he had stopped by as a customer. The incident occurred late at night, and police believe it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nukarapu’s death drew widespread attention as it marked yet another Indian student killed in the US in 2024.
• February 2024 (Washington, D.C.): 41-year-old Vivek Taneja, an Indian-origin IT executive and co-founder of a tech firm, died after an assault outside a restaurant in downtown Washington. He was attacked on February 2, just a few blocks from the White House, and succumbed to severe head injuries a few days later in hospital. Taneja’s murder (in which the suspect fled) was the seventh death of an Indian-origin person in the U.S. in a span of just a few months, according to diaspora reports, heightening fears in the community.
• January 2025 (Washington, D.C.): 26-year-old Koyyada Ravi Teja was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. while working as a food delivery driver. Ravi Teja had recently earned his master’s degree from a Chicago university and was making extra money delivering food when he was gunned down in a suspected robbery. His death early in 2025 continued the string of tragedies involving Indian students and graduates in America.
• March 2025 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin): 27-year-old Gampa Praveen, an Indian graduate student from Telangana, was fatally shot during a robbery at the convenience store where he worked part-time in Milwaukee. Praveen was pursuing a master’s degree in data science and was just two months away from graduation when the robbery occurred. His grieving family in India, who had been eagerly awaiting his return with a degree, were devastated by the news.

These incidents, among others, have raised alarms about the safety of Indians abroad. In fact, Indian authorities noted a spike in such cases: at least 11 Indian students died in the U.S. in 2024 alone (from various causes including homicides, accidents, and unexplained incidents). According to data shared in the Indian Parliament, 12 Indians were murdered or attacked in the United States in 2023, more than in any other country that year. This trend has led to growing concern within the Indian diaspora and the Indian government.

Reactions and Implications for the Indian Diaspora

High-profile killings of Indian nationals in America have prompted reactions from both officials and community leaders, who are grappling with the implications for the Indian diaspora’s safety and well-being. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has acknowledged the issue, calling the rise in violent attacks on Indian students overseas a “big concern” for the government. Speaking in April 2024, he noted that the cases spanned a range of scenarios – “some students were murdered over personal issues, others were victims of accidents” – and he emphasized that Indian embassies are closely engaged with each case. Jaishankar stressed that ensuring the welfare of Indians abroad is a top priority, and that authorities are proactively advising students on safety, including cautioning them about staying out of dangerous areas in foreign cities. “Every Indian going out [to study], you have Modi’s guarantee,” he said, underlining the government’s commitment to protect its citizens overseas.

Indian diaspora organizations in the U.S. have also mobilized in response to these incidents. The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a prominent advocacy group, conducted a study of the recent student deaths and urged American authorities and universities to take preventive action. FIIDS found that the causes of death ranged from shootings and kidnappings to accidents (like carbon monoxide poisoning or hypothermia) and mental health issues leading to suicide. In an April 2024 analysis, FIIDS called for several measures – including better safety education for international students, improved campus security, quicker search-and-rescue efforts for missing students, and expanded mental health support – to address what it called an “alarming surge” in Indian student fatalities. The diaspora group’s recommendations reflect a growing sentiment that more must be done to educate and protect young Indians adjusting to life in the U.S.

Indian diplomatic missions have increased outreach to the community as well. Following the spate of student deaths, the Consulate General of India in New York held special “Student Meet and Greet” sessions in April 2024 to hear concerns and provide guidance to Indian students in the U.S.. More than 200 students from over 20 universities attended a hybrid session on April 14, where consular officials and experts offered advice on personal safety, mental health, legal rights, and available resources. The consulate reiterated its support and urged students to stay in touch with Indian diaspora networks for mentorship and help. Notably, this outreach came right after the tragic case of Mohammed Abdul Arfath, a 25-year-old student from Hyderabad who went missing in Cleveland, Ohio and was found dead in a lake in April 2024. His death (the circumstances of which remain under investigation) galvanized Indian officials to remind students of safety protocols and the importance of seeking help when in distress.

Public figures in the U.S. have also condemned the violence. Following the Austin bus stabbing, CapMetro’s CEO Dottie Watkins stated that “violence of any kind will never be tolerated” on the city’s transit system and promised to take all necessary steps to keep passengers safe. Local community members in Austin were shaken by Gupta’s killing – an Austin business owner described the scene as “horrific” and noted the incident highlights broader concerns about random violence and mental health issues in the city. Many in the Indian-American community are calling for increased vigilance. There is a growing awareness that while the United States is generally safe, newcomers must quickly learn about local safety practices, such as avoiding high-crime areas at odd hours and using campus security services – advice now frequently emphasized by both U.S. universities and Indian consulates.

Implications: The recent string of incidents has fostered a mix of fear and caution among the Indian diaspora. Students and professionals from India continue to flock to the U.S. in record numbers for education and careers (over 275,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in American institutions), but these tragedies serve as a sobering reminder of the potential risks. Community leaders say it is important not to panic, but to take common-sense precautions and look out for one another. Indian diaspora advocacy groups are urging closer cooperation with law enforcement and university authorities to ensure that the American dream does not turn into a nightmare for those far from home. Indian officials, for their part, have pressed U.S. authorities to thoroughly investigate each crime and bring perpetrators to justice. The hope is that through vigilance, education, and support networks, further loss of life can be prevented and Indian students and expatriates can pursue their goals in the U.S. without fear.