File photo of Srinivas Kuchibhotla

WASHINGTON: A US Navy veteran who killed Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year has been sentenced to life in prison.

In March this year, Adam Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

He was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

Purinton, yelled, "Get out of my country," before shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

A federal judge in Kansas yesterday sentenced Purinton to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla and 165 months imprisonment for each of the other two murder charges.

Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision.

"Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable," Dumala said in a statement.

"I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice," she said.

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