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Indian national shot dead in Uganda by off-duty constable; ‘deliberate, pre-meditated act,’ say police

By, New Delhi
May 16, 2023 10:53 AM IST

The victim was identified as Uttam Bhandari, a 39-year-old money lender. The incident took place on May 12.

An Indian national was shot dead by an off-duty police constable in Uganda, with the police describing his actions as ‘deliberate’ and ‘pre-meditated.’

The off-duty policeman who fatally shot the Indian national (Image courtesy: Uganda Police Force)
The off-duty policeman who fatally shot the Indian national (Image courtesy: Uganda Police Force)

“The findings so far, clearly indicate that the actions of our officer were deliberate, planned and pre-meditated,” the Uganda Police Force said in a Twitter statement on Tuesday.

The May 12 murder of 39-year-old money lender Uttam Bhandari by 30-year-old Ivan Wabwire, with a stolen AK-47 assault rifle, and over a monetary dispute between the two, wherein Wabwire owed some money to a Bhandari-run financial services firm, was captured on CCTV (Disclaimer: Graphic visuals).

Ugandan President 'furious'

On May 13, a day after the killing, Ugandan President Yoweri K Museveni, while extending condolences to Bhandari's family, asked some questions of the security forces.

“The answers to these questions may help us to plug the gaps in the security system,” tweeted Museveni.

The Indian High Commission, based in the African nation's capital city of Kampala, too extended its condolences to the victim's kin.

The killer

According to police, Wabwire had a history of mental instability and, five years ago, he was banned from possessing firearms. He committed the crime with the AK-47 of a colleague who is also his roommate, officials added.

Bhandari was shot at from a close range at the Kampala-based TFS firm. Also, 13 cartridges were recovered from the crime scene.

Indians in Uganda

The country is home to thousands of Indians, most of whom live and work in Kampala. India has maintained diplomatic presence in Uganda since 1965, around three years after the latter achieved independence.

(With PTI inputs(

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