Letter to The Honorable Greg Abbott
- Mohinder Gulati
- Sep 13
- 3 min read
GLOBAL HINDU TEMPLE NETWORK AMERICA
The Honorable Greg Abbott
Governor of Texas
Office of the Governor
State Insurance Building
1100 San Jacinto
Austin, Texas 78701
Dear Governor Abbot
Re: Brutal murder of Mr. Chandramouli Nagamallaiah
On behalf of Hindus in the United States of America, and as the President of the Global Hindu Temple Network America, I express profound concern over a deeply disturbing incident that occurred in Dallas, Texas, on September 10, 2025. The brutal murder of Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, a 50-year-old man, who was beheaded with a machete at the Downtown Suites motel on Samuell Boulevard by the suspect, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez.
According to the Dallas Police Department’s arrest affidavit, the incident stemmed from an argument Cobos-Martinez had had with Chandramouli over some trivial matter. Cobos-Martinez returned with a machete and attacked him, continuing until the victim was decapitated. Witnesses, including the victim’s wife and son, attempted to intervene but were pushed away by the suspect. A witness reported to WFAA that Cobos-Martinez struck Chandramouli repeatedly, beheaded him, and then kicked the victim’s head “like a soccer ball” after the attack, a detail that underscores the extreme brutality of this crime.
Cobos-Martinez was apprehended near the scene, covered in blood and still armed with the machete, and admitted to the killing in a recorded interview with police. Jail records indicate he is an immigrant from Cuba, previously held in ERO Dallas custody at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, until his release on January 13, 2025, due to the unavailability of removal flights to Cuba. This raises serious questions about the processes surrounding the release of individuals with prior criminal histories, as Cobos-Martinez has a documented record of violent behavior. In 2017, he was arrested in South Lake Tahoe, California, for carjacking after attempting to steal a woman’s vehicle while naked, as reported by KRNV. Additionally, court records show he faced charges in Harris County, Texas, in 2018 for aggravated assault, later pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, and was wanted in California in 2023 for carjacking, false impersonation, and failure to appear.
Hinduphobia and anti-Indian rhetoric has been rising and has resulted in several cases of violence against Hindus and people of Indian origin. While no reports explicitly confirm this as a hate crime or specify the victim’s ethnic or religious background, the name Chandra Nagamallaiah suggests possible Indian origin, which warrants further investigation to ensure all motives are thoroughly examined. It is deeply disturbing that the wonderful State of Texas should be tolerating such hate. For me it is personally disappointing since my sons graduated from the University of Texas Austin more than a decade ago and contributed significantly to the research in cutting-edge technologies in the great UTA. On my frequent visits to Austin and the wonderful state of Texas I was enamored with the bucolic, peaceful, culturally vibrant atmosphere. Those fond memories are being shattered by the rising Hinduphobia in the great State of Texas.
As Governor, your leadership in addressing violent crime and ensuring robust public safety measures is vital. I urge your office to investigate the circumstances surrounding this case, particularly the suspect’s prior release from custody despite his criminal history and active deportation order. Additionally, I request a review of policies that may have contributed to this tragedy, to prevent similar incidents in the future and to restore public confidence in our state’s safety protocols.
Please advise on any actions your administration plans to take in response to this incident. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further or provide additional information as needed.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely yours,
Mohinder Gulati
President
Global Hindu Temple Network America
info@ghtnus.org; 227-259-7498
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