Bobby Singh Shah (51) the person who was arrested for allegedly shooting a 21-year-old Nepali student dead in Houston, Texas, has been charged with capital murder in the 262 State District Court.
Muna Pandey was shot dead by Shah using a lethal weapon during a robbery, according to the court documents, Nep York reported. A capital murder charge is the most serious form of murder in Texas which carries a statutory penalty of up to the death penalty.
“Bobby Singh Shah also known as Bobby Shah, hereafter styled the defendant, heretofore on or about August 24, 2024, did then and there unlawfully, while in the course of committing and attempting to commit the Robbery of Muna Pandey, intentionally cause the death of Muna Pandey by shooting her with a deadly weapon, to-wit a firearm," reads the court document.
Bobby Singh will be produced in court on Tuesday, September 3.
Bobby Singh was arrested at a traffic stop shortly after 8 pm on Wednesday in a coordinated effort by HPD SWAT officers, the HPD Crime Reduction Unit, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The arrest was made just a few hours after the police released a photo of the suspect on Wednesday. The photo, taken from CCTV footage, was captured at 9:48 p.m. on Saturday, August 24.
Muna was found shot dead in her apartment at West Airport Boulevard in Houston last Monday evening. She had sustained gunshot wounds to her chest and was lying prone on the bed.
Police said the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The body, found with gunshot wounds, has been sent for an autopsy examination.
Muna was the only child in her family. Her phone had been switched off since Saturday. The police are investigating the motive behind the crime.
Pandey, who originally hails from Bhojpur, a hilly eastern district of Nepal, had gone to America to pursue her bachelor’s degree. She had been enrolled in a nursing program at Houston Community College.
Pandey, who had previously lived with friends, had recently started staying alone in a rented apartment.
Muna’s mother Anita wants to travel to America to attend her daughter's funeral in the US but she is facing financial difficulties.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to cover Muna's mother's travel costs to the United States and to help with Muna's funeral expenses.
The fundraising campaign seeks to collect US$ 50,000 and appeals to one and all for their generous support to this end.
