New Delhi: A 24-year-old Indian student who was stabbed in his head at fitness centre in United States, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on Wednesday.
Varun Raj Pucha, the computer science student at Valparaiso University was stabbed with a knife in his head at the public gym on October 29. After days of hospitalization, the Indian student lost battle with life and dies of knife injuries in his head.
The assailant was identified as another 24-year-old American Jordan Andrade, who didn’t know the victim but yet attacked with a fatal blow on his head.
The university bemoaning over Varun’s death, said in a statement, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Varun Raj Pucha. Our campus community has lost one of its own, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Varun’s family and friends as we mourn this devastating loss.”
Accused Jordan Andrade has been booked for murder charges. He however told the police that he acted in self-defence as Varun was going to ‘assassinate him’.
When Varun Raj Pucha moved to US?
Varun Raj Pucha, a native of Telangana’s Khammam district had moved to United States for pursuing his computer education, last year.
He went to US in August 2022 and was pursuing MS in Computer Science from the Valparaiso University. Though, trial proceedings into Varun’s murder will go on, the university has announced a memorial service for him in the campus on November 16.
How Indian student was stabbed?
How Indian student was stabbed?As per initial police findings, the duo didn’t know each other. Varun was a regular gym visitor while Andrade walked one day into the fitness centre and stabbed him in the head as he found the Indian student ‘weird’.
Varun was in the Planet Fitness gym when Andrade walked into the massage room. Andrade told police that he felt threatened by the ‘weird looking’ man and reacted in self-defence.
Andrade told police that someone told him that this man was a ‘threat’ and that’s why he attacked him without any provocation.
The gym staff, when quizzed by the cops, also corroborated this act. They said that Varun was a regular gym member and he often kept to himself and his exercises.
The 24-year-old accused told cops that he used to keep knife in his pocket for opening boxes at his workplace.
What accused said during interrogation?
Jordan Andrade, during interrogation told police that when he went to the massage room of gym, he saw a man sitting there.
He didn’t know Varun but found him ‘little weird’, he told the cops. He said that Varun was like a ‘potential threat’ to him and he ‘eliminated’ him for his safety.
When he was asked about reasons behind stabbing, Andrade reportedly said, “Uh, I just put it through. I don’t even want to say it. It was in his head.”
