A 57-year-old Indian-origin man, who was kidnapped last week, has been found dead in California, the United States (US), said officials. His body was recovered near Lake Berryessa on Saturday (February 21), four days after he was kidnapped from Tracy. The man has been identified as Avtar Singh.
"It is with profound sadness that we confirm the kidnapping victim, Avtar Singh, has been located deceased. Our detectives are working tirelessly to investigate this case and identify those responsible for this terrible act," said San Joaquin Sheriff's Office in a statement.
Singh was abducted on Tuesday (February 17) from outside a gurdwara in San Joaquin County by three unidentified individuals dressed in dark clothing and was taken in a white sports utility vehicle (SUV). The victim, a father of triplet, had initially resisted but was overpowered by the attackers.
A search was launched after his wife reported to the police that he was missing. Following this, the police scanned the CCTV footage and found how he was abducted.
Singh mistakenly killed by assailants?
Although the police said that this was not a random act, they believe that Singh was not the primary target. "They were targeted after another individual for a specific reason, and we’re hoping that reason comes to the light," Sheriff Patrick Withrow told KCRA-TV.
The police have now launched an investigation.
Meanwhile, this is the second such when an Indian-origin man was found dead in the US. Earlier this month, Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah's body was recovered after he had gone missing on February 9 near Lake Anza in the Berkeley Hills area of California. 22-year-old Sreenivasaiah was pursuing a master’s degree in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
He had gone to the US after completing his graduation from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras.
