Who was Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah, Bengaluru-based entrepreneur beheaded in front of his family in US

NEW DELHI: Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah, a 50-year-old motel manager who was beheaded in Dallas, US, was originally from Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh but spent most of his life in Bengaluru.He studied at Indiranagar Cambridge School and later at National College, Basavanagudi. In Bengaluru, Mouli ran several small businesses, the most successful being a PG accommodation. Neighbours in RT Nagar remembered him as soft-spoken, humble and generous.Mouli moved to the United States in 2018, initially living in San Antonio before settling in Dallas, where he managed a motel for the past five years. He often spoke of his dream to expand a hospitality business with his sister and brother-in-law, who already run a venture in Texas.

Friends described him as gentle, hardworking and family-oriented. His classmate Sailas Nulaka called him “the humblest friend” he had known, while another friend, Abilash Reddy, said his family was well respected in Bengaluru. Two years ago, Mouli’s family renovated their Bengaluru home and converted it into a PG, with neighbours remembering them as kind and welcoming.His 18-year-old son, Gaurav, is preparing to study hospitality management, aiming to carry forward his father’s dream.

Mouli was killed on 10 September at the Dallas motel where he worked, reportedly in front of his wife and son. Police said he was attacked with a machete by his co-worker, 37-year-old Cuban national Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, following an argument over translating instructions about a broken washing machine. Officers said the accused later threw Mouli’s head into a dumpster. Cobos-Martinez has been arrested and charged with capital murder.Mouli had planned to visit India in October to meet his mother and sibling. His family in India is expected to travel to Dallas for the funeral. A GoFundMe fundraiser for funeral expenses and his son’s education has raised more than $85,000 in two days.