AUSTIN (KXAN) — Akshay Gupta was stabbed and killed as an innocent bystander riding a CapMetro bus in May.
“He was one person who would leave an impression on you, once you met him, it was just such an impression,” Gupta’s brother Ankur told KXAN. “If he met you, he was just so selfless.”
As Gupta’s loved ones learned more about the case – and about Deepak Kandel, the man arrested in the stabbing – their concerns have grown.
The week of the stabbing, KXAN learned via online court records that Kandel has a criminal history — primarily misdemeanors — dating back to 2016. The proceedings also contained several mental health evaluations.
Kandel is homeless, according to a police source.
When we asked the County Attorney’s Office about this days after the arrest, the office said “all legal efforts were exhausted to protect the community and provide this individual with treatment,” pointing to struggles with the availability of state hospital beds.
“But still he was left on these streets to go and commit a big crime. I don’t know what was the prosecutors’ approach,” Ankur Gupta told KXAN in an interview. We shared part of that interview with the County Attorney’s Office, circling back on our original request. The office then provided an additional statement after reviewing the video.
“The death of Akshay Gupta is a tragedy that is mourned by our entire community. We will continue to work tirelessly to see that the State Legislature finally meets its obligation to provide fair and adequate mental health services, so this never happens again. Our office will also continue to use every legal tool available to keep our community safe.”
Travis County Attorney’s Office
KXAN will update this story if we hear back from Kandel’s attorneys. The next court hearing is set for August 19.