Family to get passports immediately

The Indian mission in Washington has sent a two-member team to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute campus...

The Indian mission in Washington has sent a two-member team to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute campus, where a shootout yesterday left 33 dead, including an Indian professor.

“We have sent a team of two senior officials — the minister for community affairs and minister for consular affairs – to the campus,” Raminder Jassal, the deputy chief of mission in Washington, said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs here has taken steps to ensure that the four members of Loganathan’s family got their passports at the earliest to make the trip to the US university. “The family of Professor Loganathan will get overriding priority in terms of getting their travel documents, stay and transportation (while in the US),” Ronen Sen, Indian ambassador to the US, told The Indian Express.

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The Indian team in the US will facilitate the arrival, transport and other needs of Loganathan’s family members during their visit. The family members are based in Tamil Nadu.

According to information, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed spoke with Loganathan’s family members and expressed his condolence. The minister also gave the necessary directions to the Regional Passport Office to accelerate the documentation process. Officials said there was a logistical hitch as the phones were not being answered at Virginia Tech, which resulted in a slight delay in sending the team. But the mission officials then got in touch with the Indian community in the area and also leaders of the Indo-US Students Association.

The mission is also determining whether any more Indians lost their lives in the shootout.