A 28-year-old student of an Indian origin, residing in the Philadelphia city of the United States (US), was allegedly shot dead while delivering a pizza, officials reported on Sunday. The victim hailed from Telangana and the authorities have launched a probe into the incident, suspecting it as a homicide.
The victim, identified as Anshul Kuncha, was pursuing his higher studies in Philadelphia and had been working part-time as a pizza delivery executive to supplement his income.
Victim Anshul Kuncha
The incident took place on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday in the northern part of the city, throwing the Indian community into grief and prompting a response from the Indian diplomatic authorities in the US.
Anshul shot dead during pizza delivery
If the local media reports are to be believed, Anshul had gone to deliver a pizza order at a vacant residence within the Raymond Rosen Homes housing complex when he was shot at.
The cops rushed him to the Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 1 am local time. The investigating police personnel believe he may have been lured to the location through a bogus food order. Reports point to the fact that he was shot after leaving the delivery address. Meanwhile, the CCTV footage obtained from cameras shows Anshul carrying the pizza order while being followed by two people dressed in dark clothing and carrying a backpack.
Representative image
Indian Consulate condoles death
The Consulate General of India, New York expressed grief over the death of the young man. It posted a message of ‘X’, which read that it was deeply saddened by Anshul’s untimely demise and extended condolences to his family. Officials also said they are in touch with his family and are providing all possible assistance.
Victim worked as a Data Validation Analyst
A native of Telangana, Anshul had gone to the US to pursue a Master’s degree in Business Analytics, which he completed in 2024. As per his professional profile, he had been working as a Data Validation Analyst at DataBank IMX in Pennsylvania. Before heading overseas, he had earned a BTech (Bachelor of Technology) degree in Chemical Engineering from Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. His friends and family said he also delivered pizzas on weekends to earn an extra buck while building his career.
Kin allege planned attack
In the aftermath of the incident, Anshul’s sister, Tanvi has alleged that the shooting was not a random act of violence but a deliberate trap. While appealing for justice, she said ,”We were informed that he was shot in the head thrice and was left on the road.” She went on to say that the incident was a planned killing, and that the family could not ascertain the motive behind the attack, but believed the delivery order had been used as a decoy to lure her brother to the scene.
Towards the end, she urged India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to expedite the repatriation of his mortal remains. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Police have launched an intensive probe and are skimming through the CCTV footage from the area to identify the accused.