US police arrest three for killing Indian student

Arun Kumar Narote, 26, an MS student of the Stratford University was shot dead at a grocery store at Bridgeport on July 14 despite offering no resistance and fully cooperating with his assailants' demands. He worked there as a clerk. He was pursuing his masters in software engineering.

The Bridgeport police said they have arrested three individuals on murder charges - Luis Tores, 25; Vanessa Ortiz, 21, and accused getaway driver, Marisol Malave, 31. Each is being detained on USD 2 million bond pending a July 27 court appearance. Terming it as an act of senseless gun violence, the university in a statement said its staff, faculty and students will participate in a memorial service in Narote's honour on July 26. The brief service will be hosted by Hindu Priest Amarnath from the Embassy of India, it said.

The timing of the ceremony is significant said Stratford University Vice President for International Programmes, Feroze Khan, noting that in accordance with Hindu tradition, friends and family observe 13 days of mourning.Fittingly, the ceremony will take on the 13th day following Narote's death, he said.

"This will truly be a sad day as we remember Arun, one of our most popular students here at Stratford," Richard R Shurtz, President of Stratford University, said, adding, "Arun will certainly be missed by the entire school. Our thoughts are prayers go out to Arun's family and friends."

A native of Hyderabad, Narote earned his undergraduate degree from the city's Indra Reddy Memorial Engineering College. "Arun was living here with friends and working in the small grocery store to earn money for school," Bridgeport police captain James Viadero said in a press release.