Indian businessman shot dead by police officer in Uganda

An Indian businessman was shot dead allegedly by a police constable in Kisoro town of Uganda, local media reported.

The deceased was identified as Kuntaj Patel. He was 24. He used to own a hardware shop in Kisoro District.

The Daily Monitor newspaper reported that 21-year-old Elioda Gumizamu, a police constable from the Field Force Unit (FFU), shot Patel and fled from the site before getting arrested.

The incident happened on October 27 around 2 pm. Gumizamu, along with other aides—who are yet to be tracked— walked into Patel’s shop and shot the Indian businessman in the chest, Elly Maate, the regional police spokesperson, said.

One of the eyewitnesses, Gilbert Mwiseneza, a casual worker at Patel’s shop, told the newspaper that he and his boss were attending to a client when the armed officer aimed the gun at his boss.

“After the shooting, he (policeman) tried to run away but he was intercepted by people who gave a chase,” Mwiseneza was quoted as saying.

Subsequently, Patel was taken to St Francis hospital in Mutolere in Kisoro District, where succumbed to his injuries hours later.

Gumizamu has been charged with murder and is currently detained at Kisoro police station for interrogation to find out the motive.

The Kisoro Resident District Commissioner Shaffique Sekandi condemned Gumizamu’s action saying he had been in the Force for four years, the news outlet reported.

The latest attack comes on an Indian citizen in the backdrop of two more killings in Kenya months after they were abducted.

It is learned that the Kenyan government is yet to issue an official statement on the report.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi recently said that Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa, met Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and requested him to expedite the investigation.

(With inputsfrom agencies)

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