Indian fatally stabbed by carjackers in UK

A 32-year-old Indian origin man was fatally stabbed as he tried to fend off masked carjackers in East London with his terrified female friend looking on.

Harjinder Singh Bhurji was stabbed in the chest after he refused to hand over the car keys to the thief and was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday in Stoneleigh Road, Ilford, east London, Scotland Yard said.

The victim, who lived in Ilford, initially tried to hidethe car keys under his seat but the robber threatened to harm his friend, with whom Bhurji was sitting in the Mercedes CLK coupe car if he did not hand them over.

He was stabbed as he bravely struggled to retrieve the keys which the robber managed to finally get a hold of and fled from the scene of crime with the car, the Telegraph reported, adding he was left bleeding to death from knife wounds.

The robber drove off in the car, which was later found abandoned in nearby Chingford.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Rickells, who is leading the investigation in the murder, said "the suspect appears to have been purely motivated by stealing the car because at this early stage we can find no other obvious motive."

Bhurji was a successful garage owner and was scheduled to fly to India to attend his close friend's wedding.

Meanwhile, BBC reported that four men have been arrested on suspicion of the murder.

Three suspects, aged 20, 19 and 17, are being held at an east London police station while a fourth suspect is being held on suspicion of handling stolen goods.