When Surat resident Jitendra Patel bid farewell to his US-based brother-in-law Rakesh Patel in August, little did he know that this was the last time he was meeting his sister's husband. On Friday, 50-year-old Rakesh, a manager at a motel in Pennsylvania, was shot dead. Later in the day, police caught the accused following an exchange of gunshots. The incident comes barely a month after another Indian man, also a 50-year-old motel manager, was brutally killed at his workplace in Texas. On Monday, members of Rakesh's extended family as well as acquaintances held a memorial service at Jitendra's home in his native village, Singod, in Surat district. A photo of Rakesh was kept on a chair in the house where people came to offer flowers and garlands. Speaking to The Indian Express, Jitendra, 55, said, “My brother-in-law went to the US with his mother Lalitaben Patel when he was just four years old. He stayed and studied there. He married my sister, Hemuben, in 2001 and she left for the US the next year.” On Rakesh's family, Jitendra said, “The couple has three daughters: the eldest one is Karishma (19), who met with an accident in 2013 and had to undergo around 18 operations on her body. Her left hand is still not working. Angana (13) has medical problems with her kidneys and lungs requiring regular medical treatment. The youngest daughter is Kruti (9).”Rakesh's wife Hemu works in the same motel where her husband was also a partner. Rakesh was a native of Rayam village in Bardoli taluka where his house is now closed with the entire family based in the US. Said Jitendra, “Rakesh and his family came to India last December to attend the wedding of his nephew in Rayam village. The family stayed here for around one month. Rakesh and Hemu again came down to India for Raksha Bandhan a couple of months ago. My mother, Kusumben, was not well at that time. Rakesh and Hemu stayed here for 15 days.”It was 10.45pm on October 3 when Jitendra received a call from Hemu. “My sister called and informed me about the incident. She was crying a lot. She was at the motel when the incident occurred. We were all shocked after learning about the incident. We are all in pain,” he said. Heard firing after quarrel between coupleRakesh was reportedly present at the motel when he heard a firing after a quarrel between a couple. As soon as Rakesh came out of the motel, the suspect approached him and fired at him, causing his death on the spot. Hemu informed Robinson police which reviewed the CCTV footage of the incident and initiated a search for the accused, who was later identified as Stanley West (37). Police then located him on Pittsburgh’s East Hills.West reportedly alighted from the car and started shooting at the police personnel. In retaliation, the police also fired back, overpowered West who had incurred bullet injuries, and hospitalised him. On September 10, Chandra Nagamallaiah from Karnataka was brutally killed at his workplace in front of his wife and teenage son in East Dallas, Texas, by a co-worker after a dispute over a broken washing machine. The police arrested the accused, Cobos-Martinez, at the scene.
