3 untouched pizzas, vacant apartment and murder: How Hyderabad techie was shot dead during fake delivery order in US

HYDERABAD: Two days after 28-year-old Hyderabad native Anshul Kuncha was shot dead while delivering pizzas in Philadelphia, his grieving family said on Sunday that their sole focus now is to bring his body home and ensure justice is served.

“Just give us our brother back. That’s all I want,” said his sister, Tanvi Kuncha, appealing to both the Centre and the Telangana government to expedite the repatriation of his mortal remains.

Anshul, who grew up in Gundlapochampally on the outskirts of Hyderabad, completed his BTech from CBIT before moving to the US around four years ago for higher studies. He was employed with a Japanese MNC and had been taking up pizza deliveries on weekends to repay his education loan, family members said.

According to preliminary findings released by the Philadelphia Police Department, Anshul had been assigned a pizza delivery to an apartment in a housing complex. Investigators later discovered that the address corresponded to a vacant unit, leading them to suspect that the order may have been placed to lure him to the location.

Police said they recovered spent shell casings near the victim and found three untouched pizza boxes and a delivery bag inside the vacant apartment. Surveillance footage obtained from the Philadelphia Housing Authority allegedly showed Anshul carrying the delivery order while being followed by two individuals dressed in dark clothing. Investigators are currently tracking the phone number used to place the order.

Confirming these details, Tanvi said the family was informed about the incident on Saturday morning through authorities and acquaintances. She said they strongly suspect that Anshul was targeted through a fake delivery request.

“Anshul had no enemies. He was working for an MNC and had been doing part-time deliveries only for the last six months,” she said, adding that none of his belongings appeared to have been stolen.

Tanvi recalled that her brother had faced only one unpleasant incident during his stay in the US, when he was allegedly robbed of his chain, cash and mobile phone.

The tragedy has taken a heavy toll on the family. Their mother, who suffers from asthma, fell ill after receiving the news and is currently under medication, Tanvi said.

The family has submitted representations through the Madad portal (consular grievance redressal system) and approached Union minister G Kishan Reddy as well as local public representatives seeking assistance in bringing Anshul’s body back to India.

Meanwhile, the Indian Consulate in New York expressed condolences over Anshul’s death and said in a post on X that it was in touch with the bereaved family and extending all possible assistance.

According to the family, they have been informed that local authorities are expected to release the body on Monday (June 8), after which the process of repatriation is likely to begin.

Mohan Nannapeni, president and director of TeamAid, an association working towards helping Telugus in the US, said the repatriation process may get over by Thursday (June 11).

(By Manvi Vyas)