Kuchibotla's mortal remains arrive in his hometown

Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport when parents of Srinivas Kuchibhotla came to receive his mortal remains late on Monday.

Srinivas’s body arrived from New Jersey to the city via Mumbai on a commercial flight, escorted by his wife Sunayana Dumala, his younger brother and his wife. The family in Hyderabad reached the airport more than an hour before the expected arrival of the flight. ”It was a sad gathering for us at the airport. At this time all we wish to do is to stand by his parents and wife,” said one of Kuchibhotla’s relatives who was escorted by the State government in a convoy of vehicles along with rest of the family. The body was taken to the family’s residence in Praneet Nature Bounty in Bachupally on the city outskirts where other relatives waited. The last rites are expected to be performed at Mahaprasthanam in Jubilee Hills on Tuesday morning.

On behalf of the Telangana government, Transport Minister M. Mahender Reddy accompanied the family to receive Kuchibhotla’s body and his wife Sunayana. Malkajigiri MP Ch. Malla Reddy was also present at the airport. The regional passport officer, a representative of the Ministry of External Officer, was also present to receive the body.

Shot while he was enjoying the evening after the day’s work on February 22 with his Indian colleague and friend, Srinivas Kuchibhotla succumbed at a hospital in Olathe, Kansas, to the gunshot wounds.

Kuchibhotla’s friend Alok Reddy Madasani suffered a bullet wound on his left thigh. During a vigil organised by the local Indian community for his departed friend on Sunday, a visibly shaken Mr. Madasani said he wished the incident was a dream.

“All my happiest moments that happened in my life after moving to the U.S., were with Srinivas. It is hard to believe he is no more,” Mr. Madasani said, adding that the shooting was an isolated incident and does not respect the true spirit of Kansas, Midwest and the U.S.