Indian man charged with attempted murder of student in UK

PTI, Mar 29, 2022, 3:29 PM IST

A 23-year-old Indian man has been charged with attempted murder after stabbing a female student, also Indian, inside a Hyderabadi restaurant in east London.

Sriram Ambarla was arrested from Hyderabad Wala biryani restaurant in East Ham for stabbing Sona Biju, a university student from Kerala, who worked part-time as a waitress at the restaurant.

The accused, who appeared before Thames Magistrates’ Court here on Monday, was remanded in custody for the next court appearance on April 25.

“Officers attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and found a woman in her early 20s with stab injuries. She was taken to hospital where she remains in a serious, but stable, condition,” a Metropolitan Police statement said on Monday.

The accused has no fixed address in London.

CCTV footage appears to show the moment of the attack on Friday afternoon at the restaurant.

It is believed the victim was serving her alleged attacker as a customer before he stabbed her with a knife, with other customers and staff being threatened against intervening.

The police have been trying to investigate the motive behind the incident and have appealed to people with information to contact them or to anonymously contact the charity ‘Crimestoppers’.

The University of East London, where the victim was reportedly enrolled, said it was cooperating with police, and also appealed for information.

“The University of East London is aware of an incident on 25 March involving two students at the Hyderabad Wala restaurant in East Ham. We are providing support to those involved and cooperating with the Metropolitan Police, who are investigating the incident,” the university said in a statement.

”The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 quoting CAD 3946/25Mar. To remain anonymous contact ‘Crimestoppers’ on 0800 555 1111,” the statement added.