Deepak Kandel (Austin Police Department).
A man in Austin, Texas, allegedly stabbed a fellow bus passenger because he believed the victim resembled his uncle. The suspect, Deepak Kandel, 31, now faces a murder charge for the incident.
The authorities received a call at 6:45 p.m. reporting a stabbing on a CapMetro bus in the 500 block of South Lamar Boulevard. Upon arriving at the scene, emergency responders found the victim, Akshay Gupta, 30, with severe injuries. Despite their efforts to save him, Gupta was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m.
Investigators claimed they soon discovered Kandel was the killer.
According to the police, their investigation revealed that Kandel had been sitting next to Gupta on the bus. Suddenly and without any apparent reason, Kandel stabbed Gupta in the neck. After the attack, Kandel calmly exited the bus with other passengers and walked away. However, he was apprehended shortly after by Austin Police Department officers. Kandel confessed that he attacked Gupta because he believed the victim bore a resemblance to his uncle.
Police are reaching out to anyone with information on the case, but also riders who might have left something on the bus because of the stabbing. From their statement:
Anyone needing to retrieve personal property left on the CapMetro bus as a result of this incident is asked to contact CapMetro customer service at 512-474-1200 for instructions.
Anyone with information should contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.
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