'Jealous people are taking Indians' lives'

Buddh Indira, the mother of slain software engineer B Kiran, had asked him not to go abroad as Indians were being attacked in many countries but he did not hear and went to South Africa.
 
Shell-shocked over the news that her 28-year-old son died after an unknown assailant fired at him in Johannesburg, Indira said, "After reading in newspapers and watching on TV that several Indians were attacked in different countries, I pleaded him not to go back to South Africa or any other country and remain in India and work here."
 
Kiran, who had come to visit his family in Arepally village of Warangal district in April, had returned to Johannesburg on June 28 and only a few days later he was shot and died in hospital on Tuesday.
 
"I kept quiet when he threatened that if I forcibly prevent him from going back to South Africa, he will not return and remain there forever. His words have turned out to be true and he is now gone for ever," Indira, said weeping inconsolably
 
"Indians are going abroad to earn their livelihood, but jealous people are taking their lives", she said.
 
Gloom has descended upon Arepally village since the news of Kiran's death reached the place. A large number of villagers have gathered at his house to console his father B Shankaraiah and other family members.
 
Kiran's house also became the destination of important people, including three ministers, the district collector N Sridhar and district superintendent of police CV Sajjanar.
 
After talking to the police authorities in Johannesburg and the officials of Indian High Commission in South Africa, Sajjanar said that it will take another three days to bring the body back home.
 
The state government has already announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to Kiran's family.
 
Meanwhile, another youth from Warangla B Sudarshan Reddy, who recently came back from South Africa after working in a Pharma company, suspected that Kiran became the victim of the gang of criminals who often target Indians and other foreigners to rob them of money and other valuables.
 
"If any body tries to resist, they kill and walk away. They beat their victims even if they don't find any thing in our pockets. That is why we carry at least some money with us to avoid physical violence by the robbers. Such is the situation that fear pervades after darkness", said Reddy recalling his days in South Africa. 

He said there were about thousand youth from Andhra Pradesh in South Africa mostly working in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
 
He said that these gangs were so ferocious that they will even blast the ATMs to loot money. "At least two such incidents take place every day", he said, adding that these gangs were armed with sophisticated arms and high speed vehicles.