Washington, 13 September (H.S.): A 38-year-old Indian-origin woman was shot dead outside a restaurant in the US state of California. The alleged perpetrator, a 22-year-old man from India, also died by suicide. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement on September 11 providing details of the incident.

According to the US Department of Homeland Security, the accused is an Indian national and an undocumented immigrant. The DHS said he had been released by the Biden administration.

According to the DHS, officials said the suspect had been stalking the woman for several months. Local media reports cited by the department said the incident took place on September 8 at a shopping centre in Sacramento.

According to the reports, the 38-year-old Indian-origin woman was near her car when the accused, identified as Rohit, an undocumented immigrant from India, approached her. As soon as she saw him, the woman attempted to flee. Rohit chased her and opened fire with a gun. The woman fell to the ground, after which he shot her again in the head at close range before fleeing in his vehicle.

The statement said that when police caught up with Rohit, he applied the brakes of his vehicle and later shot himself and died by suicide. Rohit had reportedly been stalking the woman for an extended period. According to the statement, Rohit illegally entered the United States in August 2023 through Arizona. He was apprehended by a US Border Patrol team, after which the Biden administration released him.

A DHS spokesperson said, “This illegal immigrant from India harassed a 38-year-old woman in California, stalked her, and then murdered her. When police caught up with him, he took his own life. If the Biden administration had not released this murderer into our country, this tragic incident could have been completely prevented. Leaders must put an end to policies that recklessly gamble with the lives of American people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar