(Image source from: Evening Standard)

The 54-year-old Indian origin man who is running newsagent’s shop in the United Kingdom has been stabbed to death during a burglary at his store on Sunday.

Ravi Katharkamar, who was thought to have two children, was attacked as he opened his shop in Pinner, north west London, shortly before 6 a.m. The victim was living in Pinner for many years after moving from Sri Lanka.

A passerby had found him collapsed inside the shop before police and paramedics were called to the incident but he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later. It was the second robbery at the shop within a period of six months.

Formal identification took place by his relative following a post-mortem examination on Monday. The cause of death was confirmed as a stab wound to the chest.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Stancombe from the Homicide and Major Crime Command unit said: "This was a vicious and unwarranted attack on a completely innocent man.

"Ravi's attacker got away with a few pounds worth of coins, but he leaves behind a family utterly devastated and a close-knit community asking who could do such a thing.

"Help me catch the man who did this. The attacker fled with a shop till - have you found this discarded or seen someone in possession of a shop till who wouldn't normally have one? Do you know someone trying to use lots of loose change since yesterday morning?"

Local residents told the Evening Standard that Katharkamar was a “pillar of the community”.

“He was an extremely friendly, polite and hard-working man. I have seen him delivering papers at the crack of dawn for over 20 years and he will be missed by the community.”

The local shop owner, Siva Lingam, said: “We are all so sad. He was a very nice, quiet man. I can’t believe anyone would hurt him.

“This robbery must have been planned. They knew he was coming in early to do the Sunday papers.”

The assailant used a black Vauxhall Astra to run away from the scene.

By Sowmya Sangam