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Interpol To Help Florida Cops In Agarwal Murder Case

Nitish S Rele in Tampa

Seven weeks after the police discovered Deepa Agarwal's body at her apartment in Orlando, the suspected killer is still at large. According to Detective Jeff Tramonte of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Kamlesh Agarwal is believed to have fled to India soon after the July 19 murder. Tramonte said the state attorney's office is handling the case with Interpol.

There has not yet been any reward offered for the arrest of the suspect, he said. Meanwhile, Deepa's friends wonder if America's Most Wanted could run an announcement on Kamlesh Agarwal.

Kamlesh, a cousin of Deepa's father, sold his car the day Deepa was murdered, bought a ticket to India, and was dropped off at the airport by a college mate. Deepa's friends allege Kamlesh who, like Deepa, was a student at the University of Central Florida, was jealous of her boyfriends.

The police said Deepa had come home late on July 10 after a night out with her friends. When she arrived home, they say, she had a heated argument with Kamlesh, who was in the apartment at the time. A couple of hours later, police say, neighbors saw Kamlesh leaving the apartment. Deepa's body was discovered several days later when the police got into her apartment, after her friends and parents called them to say they had not heard from her or seen her.

Deepa's parents, who lived in Florida for many years, were asked to leave the United States several years ago and cannot get the visa to come to America, according to sources close to the family.

Deepa's body was sent to New Delhi for the final rites. She has a younger sister, Sheila, who is studying at Duke University and a brother, who lives in India with her parents. The brother had visited Deepa a few weeks before her death.

Naval Modani, a University of Central Florida finance professor who had known the 20-year-old Deepa for about 14 years, said plans are in the works to award Deepa with her finance degree.

"She was a brilliant student," said Professor Modani. "She had just finished her undergraduate degree in finance and was going to start on her doctorate in finance."

"She was the youngest student to get enrollment into a doctorate program at UCF," the professor said.

"We will all miss Deepa," said Professor Modani, whose daughter Sheila was a close friend of Deepa.

EARLIER REPORT:
Florida Murder Suspect Might Have Fled To Bombay

Next: Former Union Leader Challenges Canadian Pension Policy

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