US gurudwara shooting: 4 of 6 victims were Indians

Four of the six victims killed in the shooting incidents at Wisconsin gurudwara are Indian nationals, one of them being a recent visitor from India.

The Indian embassy while disclosing the names of the those killed in the shooting, did not confirm who among them were Indians.

The names of the victims are Sita Singh (41 male), Ranjeet Singh (49 male), Satwant Singh Kaleka (62 male), Prakash Singh (39 male), Paramjeet Kaur (41 female) and Shobaik Singh (84 male).

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Meanwhile, two senior Indian officials -- Datta Padsalgikar, who is the minister for community affairs in the Indian embassy in Washington along with Consul N J Gangte from the Indian consulate in Chicago, visited the site of the incident, and interacted with local officials, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and community representatives, an embassy spokesman said.

Earlier in the day, the Punjab Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, called the Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao, on Monday morning and was assured that the embassy would offer all possible support to victims of the Oak Creek killings.

"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the Sikh community. This is a tragic incident, especially since it happened in a place of worship. Religious freedom and religious tolerance are fundamental pillars of US society," the US State Department spokesman, Patrick Ventrell, told reporters at his daily news conference.

In another statement, the Indian National Overseas Congress "strongly condemned" this dastardly act in Wisconsin.

"The violence at the Sikh gurudwara in Oak Creek is absolutely deplorable and it has no place in a civilized society such as ours," said George Abraham, INOC president.

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