Washington, April 16 (IANS) Police in California and Indian-American groups have offered a reward in the case of an attack on two elderly Sikh men as the second victim of the possible hate crime also succumbed to his injuries.

Gurmej Atwal, 78, and Surinder Singh, 65, were on their usual afternoon walk in the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove last month when they were shot near a bus shelter overlooking a highway where they often stopped to rest.

Singh died at the scene and Atwal succumbed to his injuries Friday afternoon, his son Kamaljit Singh said.

Born and raised in Punjab, Atwal moved to the US after retirement.

"He was shot in the upper right chest, one bullet went straight to his lungs and the other to his pancreas, liver and intestines," he was quoted as saying by The Modesto Bee, a local newspaper.

"My dad was going to be a key witness", in the shooting. But "from day one, he could not speak a word", Kamaljit said.

"We all hoped that he would recover and thus give us the clue, but it is very unfortunate that he died," said Gurjatinder Singh Randhawa, from the NRI Front USA.

The Sikh community and a number of community organisations have come together to offer a reward of over $42,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the shooting.

Crime Alert Sacramento is offering an additional $10,000 reward if it is determined to be a hate crime.

Police say they are treating it as a possible hate crime, citing similar instances that have occurred since the Sep 11, 2001, terror attack in which Sikhs have been mistaken for Muslims and randomly attacked.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation, and Elk Grove has increased patrol where Sikh elders often stroll.

       
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