A 24-year-old Indian student has been stabbed in the US State of Indiana and is currently under critical condition according to a news media report. The victim named Varun Tej was stabbed with a knife into the temple by an assailant named John Andrad.
The Incident
The incident occurred at a public gym (Planet Fitness Gym) in the city of Valparaiso, Indiana on October 29, 2023. According to an American media report, the attacker’s name is John Andrad and he is 24 years old. He has been arrested and detained by the police and is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.
Around 9:00AM other gym customers called upon the Valparaiso Police to the Planet fitness Club at the 1270 Strongbow Centre Drive where they found Varun seated in the massage chair with a head injury.
As per the charging document, upon arrest Andrad told the police that he requested a massage at the gym on the morning of the incident. Upon entering the massage room, he saw Varun whom he described as a little weird and potentially threating. He further said that he reacted the right way in response to the perceived threat. The police reported that Andrad then described Varun as threat to him, so he just reacted.
According to the police Andrad told them that Varun did not initiate or any contact or get up from his chair, when he entered the massage room. He said that the only physical contact was that the man trying to push Andrad off him after Andrad started attacking. The police found a big pool of blood and a folding knife at the counter. Andrad owned the folding knife that he used to open the boxes at Menard Store.
Varun Tej is a student and belongs to a place called Mamillaguddem in Khammam town. Varun’s father Ramurthy is a government school teacher working at Mannegudum. He met district minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and urged him to talk to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get better medical treatment for his son. Varun was regraded as someone who generally kept to himself and was described as quiet and reserved by other gym goers.
Injuries and Treatment
Varun has sustained a severe injury to his temple and has been admitted to Fort Wayne hospital for urgent medica treatment. The report stated that he was given a slim chance of survival ranging from zero to five percent. Following the assault, his condition is very serious.
Similar Incidents
Just last month, India had demanded a probe after a shocking video of a US policeman was out in which he was caught laughing and making jokes about a young Indian woman who was killed by his colleague Officer Kevin Dave on 23 January this year.
Jaahnavi Kandula was killed in January after she was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave. As per Seattle Times newspaper, he was driving at 74 mph (more than 119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose.
