28-year-old Punjab man, Gurdeep Singh, shot dead while delivering pizza in New York City

A 28-year-old Indian national from Punjab was shot by an unidentified individual in New York City's Brooklyn while delivering pizza.

The deceased, identified as Gurdeep Singh, hails from Jabowal village in Kapurthala district in Punjab, and had travelled to the United States via ‘dunki route’ in 2017, according to his family.

The ‘dunki route’ generally refers to illegal methods used by migrants to travel to developed countries like the United States.

Singh, who was working as a delivery partner in New York City, was currently residing there on a US work permit, and had not visited his family for the past nine years.

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The attack was suspected to be a robbery bid, according to an NDTV report. Further details on the incident are awaited.

The deceased's father, Pyara Lal, said his son had taken a heavy debt burden to travel to the US, but had faced challenges for a long time after reaching there, NDTV reported. Lal said that Singh had worked day and night to build a better life for his family.

NAPA seeks action: ‘Cannot allow repeated violence’

The North American Punjabi Association on Sunday raised concern over the killing of the 28-year-old, saying the incident should not be treated as an isolated one.

“Every time a young Punjabi or Sikh person is killed, a family is destroyed. We cannot allow repeated violence to become something the community simply learns to live with,” NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said, according to PTI news agency.

NAPA urged investigators to establish the motive behind the crime, and cautioned against jumping to conclusions before the probe is over. “The Sikh and Punjabi diaspora deserves the protection every American deserves,” NAPA said.

Gujarati businessman shot dead in Tennessee

The incident comes days after a 62-year-old Gujarati businessman was shot dead inside his store in Jackson, Tennessee, ANI news agency reported. The victim's 19-year-old daughter witnessed the crime.

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According to the ANI report, a masked assailant entered Suresh Parsottamdas Patel's store on Thursday, allegedly robbed cash from the drawer and then shot Patel, killing him on the spot. Patel, who had been living in the US for the past 30 years, had reportedly started a new business in Jackson City a week before the incident.

Patel belonged to the the Aakhaj village in Gujarat's Mehsana. A resident from the village said “a robber wearing a mask, jeans and a T-shirt” had entered Patel's store on August 20. “The accused first stole dollars from the cash drawer and then shot Suresh Patel, killing him on the spot,” the resident, Dinesh Suthar, told ANI.