2 children – daughter, 15, son, 11 – also shot by their father.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: An Indian-origin married couple in southern Texas were killed in a murder-suicide perpetrated by the husband earlier this month, Fort Bend police have ruled, with the fate of the couple’s two children now up in the air as law enforcement and social services determine their futures.
Karim Kamdar (46), along with his wife Nikhat (37), were found dead in their home just northwest of Houston on May 5. Their children, a 15 year-old daughter and 11 year-old son, also sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the local Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition, at around 6 AM, when the bodies were discovered.
The children are now in stable condition, having undergone the necessary surgeries to save their lives, and are in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS). Their names have not been made public, due to the fact that both of them are minors, but CPS is scouring family records to find the couple’s closest relatives, both in the US and back home in India and Pakistan.
Police are still searching for a motive in the killing, as well. Local reports indicate that Karim Kamdar was the owner and operator of a Superway grocery store in Sugarland, Texas, while his wife owned a daycare service entitled American Heritage Academy and Child Care.
Karim was forced to give up his job about a year ago, however, when the building he operated out of gave the space to another business, reportedly one that was owned by the building owner himself. Karim had operated the grocery store for 12 years, although it was unknown if he ever regained employment before killing his wife and himself.
Nikhat, however, was still running the day care center at the time of her passing. By all accounts, the day care was a successful operation, leaving many local residents who knew the couple, either intimately or just in passing, to wonder what could have caused Karim Kamdar to slay his wife, attempt to murder his own children, and ultimately take his own life.
A spokesperson for the Kamdar family released the following statement at the time of the tragedy, just a few weeks ago:
“This is a time of profound grief and sorrow for our family. No words can express the pain and loss we feel. Our grief and pain is compounded by the unknown circumstances that have led to this tragic event. We would like to thank our neighbors and friends for their concern and support, and the law enforcement officials for their efforts to investigate the circumstances leading to this tragic event. We would also like to thank the press for respecting our need for privacy and allowing us to bereave our beloved family member’s death with dignity.”