Family shocked over AP girl's murder in US

HYDERABAD/ADILABAD: Door No.6-1-103/101 in Abhinavanagar Colony opposite CRPF quarters in Padmaraonagar,Secunderabad, reverberated with loud shrieks as Hemalatha cried inconsolablyupon hearing the news about the death of her daughter Soumya Reddy, who was shotdead by an unidentified assailant in Chicago in the United States onSunday.Distraught with grief, a shattered Hemalatha said herdaughter was taken away in the prime of her life. The 23-year-old Tummala SoumyaReddy was pursuing her MS degree in electrical engineering from SouthernIllinois University. Preliminary investigations said the victim was found in acar, 30 km from the university campus. This is the fourth incident of a studenthailing from Andhra Pradesh being killed under suspicious circumstances in theUnited States in the last 10 months. The second daughter of BhoopalReddy and Hemalatha of Muniyal village of Kadem mandal in the backward Telanganadistrict of Adilabad, Soumya went to the US in last June after completing her BTech course from VIF College of Engineering and Technology in Chilkur. Accordingto the victim's cousin Pratima, Soumya's elder sister is doing her MS incomputers from Governor State University, Chicago, while brother Rajesh Reddy ispursuing his IIT course in Chennai. Sources said the family shiftedto the city 12 years ago after Bhoopal Reddy, who was working in the educationdepartment in Adilabad, passed away. Hemalatha is an employee of the irrigationdepartment. The family was informed about Soumya's death by Prof Gopala Reddy ofSouthern Illinois University on Sunday night. "We came to know aboutthe death on Sunday night and after seven hours, Sahaja confirmed that the bodyat the mortuary was that of Soumya's," another relative Srinivas Reddy said.He said Soumya was a bright student and she went to the US only toexcel in her chosen field of engineering. "We just want the Indian government toensure that her body reaches home as early as possible," Srinivas said.Investigations are under way in the US to ascertain the motivebehind the murder. Venkat Reddy, the victim's uncle, said security for Indianstudents leaves a lot to be desired in the US universities. Soumyais the fourth student from Andhra Pradesh killed in the US in the last 10months. While A Srinivas, a PG medical student from Karimnagar, was killed inMarch this year, Allam Kiran Kumar and K Chandrasekhar Reddy, both pursuingtheir Ph D courses, were shot dead at Louisiana University in December 2007.When contacted, district SP Anil Kumar said that they are collectingmore details on the circumstances that led to the killing of Soumya. "We gotinformation on Sunday night about the incident," he said. Meanwhile,a pall of gloom has descended on Muniyal village. People of the tiny villagegathered in small groups on Monday morning at the village centre recalling theirassociation with Bhoopal. Soumya's uncle and aunt, who reside in the village,rushed to Hyderabad after they heard the news about the untimely death ofSoumya.