US attacker's confession on stabbing Indian student in the head: 'I just put it through'

Varun Raj Pucha's condition is grave, with sources indicating severe neurological impairment. (Image: gofundme)

Indian student Varun Raj Pucha was brutally attacked and stabbed in the head in an Indiana public gym that left him in critical condition. The 24-year-old a native of Telangana is currently critical and has been put on life support. The assailant, 24-year-old Jordan Andrade, now in custody, has offered a chilling confession about the attack.

Andrade's chilling confession reveals that he initiated the attack on Varun, describing it as an act of defense. According to Andrade, the only physical contact occurred when Varun attempted to push him off, after Andrade started the assault. When asked about the location of the stabbing, Andrade reluctantly admitted, "Uh, I just put it through. I don’t even want to say it. It was in his head."

Andrade, who described Varun as "little," and who claimed to be a former high school football player, cited his perception of Varun as "a little weird" and considered him a threat when he entered the gym's massage room. He asserted that he "just reacted" out of a perceived sense of threat.

Other gym goers described Varun as someone who “generally kept to himself, was quiet and reserved”.

Andrade is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.

Local police responded to an alarming call from other gym members at the Planet Fitness club, who discovered Varun with a head injury while seated in a massage chair at 9am on the day of the attack. A pool of blood and a folding knife, belonging to Andrade, were found at the scene.

The United States government expressed deep regret over the assault on Varun, and the US State Department wished him a full recovery while deferring to local law enforcement for ongoing investigations.

"We are deeply disturbed by reports of a brutal attack against Indian graduate student Varun Raj Pucha. We wish him a full recovery from his injuries. We defer to local law enforcement for any questions about this ongoing case," a US State Department spokesperson said, ANI reported.

Varun’s condition is grave, with sources indicating severe neurological impairment, potential permanent disability, and partial, if not complete, vision loss, along with left-side weakness, following three days of treatment, PTI reported.