Khammam student stabbed in the head in US, critical

The student has been identified as Pucha Varun Raj (24), a resident of Mamilligudem in Khammam.

Hyderabad: An Indian student in the US state of Indiana is battling for life after a 24-year-old man stabbed him at a public gym thinking that the victim was going to “assassinate” him, a media report said.

The student has been identified as Pucha Varun Raj (24), a resident of Mamilligudem in Khammam.

---

Jordan Andrade was arrested after he drove a knife into Varun’s head at Planet Fitness Club’s massage room in the Valparaiso city of Indiana on Sunday morning, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported.

Andrade told Valparaiso Police that “someone” told him that Varun is “creepy” and “threatening” and feared that he would “assassinate him”.

Varun was taken to a Fort Wayne hospital due to the severity of his injury, and has been reportedly given a zero to five per cent chance of survival as the knife was driven into his temple and ultimately the brain stem. Andrade is lodged at the Porter County Jail and has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery.

Police said they walked into the gym’s massage chair room to find a large amount of blood on one of two chairs and a folding knife on the counter that reportedly belonged to Andrade. They found Varun seated in a massage chair with a head injury.

According to a charging document, Andrade said he made sure to react the “right way” after determining that Varun posed a threat to him. “Andrade then described (the man) as a threat to him so he ‘just reacted’,” police said. Andrade said Varun never got out of his chair and did not instigate any contact, “stating that the only physical contact was (the man) attempting to push Andrade off him after Andrade started attacking” him, police said. Other gym goers described Varun as someone who “generally kept to himself, was quiet and reserved”.

Andrade is scheduled to make an initial appearance on the charges Wednesday afternoon before Porter Superior Court Judge.

Varun’s father Ramurthy met Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and urged him to talk to Ministry fo External affairs to provide better treatment for his son.

Minister KTR assures help

In response to a tweet from Dr. Manasa Kapuri seeking assistance for Varun’s family, K T Rama Rao stated, “We will do our best to support Varun with the help of Indian embassy and also the Telangana NRI friends.”

 

We will do our best to support Varun with the help of Indian embassy and also the Telangana NRI friends

Will have my team @KTRoffice get in touch with the family https://t.co/edV1mP5wez

— KTR (@KTRBRS) November 1, 2023