Disputes related to repayment of loan amount are seen across the world. But a shocking case has come to fore in the African country of Uganda. A 39-year-old Indian man was shot dead by an off-duty police constable following a loan dispute.
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The incident took place in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The incident of shooting the victim has been captured on CCTV. According to the report, the name of the Indian banker, killed in the attack, was Uttam Bhandari. Bhandari was shot at from a close range at the Kampala-based TFS firm. Also, 13 cartridges were recovered from the crime scene. The police has described off-duty police constable’s actions as ‘deliberate’ and ‘pre-meditated.’
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. Reportedly, the crime was committed due to non-payment of a loan of over 21 lakh shillings (Rs 46,000).
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.
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 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.
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