JACKSON - An organization created after the shooting of an Indian store clerk has begun circulating petitions calling for an investigation of his death. P.S. Kelsey, president of the Indian Association for Crime Victims of Mississippi, said the state's community of people with ties to India remain upset over the death of Charanjit Singh Aujla on Dec. 4.

Aujla was killed at NS Food Mart as six Hinds County Sheriff's deputies attempted to serve Aujla a warrant for selling beer to minors. "We are looking for answers," said Kelsey, who said Aujla was a mild-mannered husband and father of two children. "We are going to do things the right way, but if we have to go as a group to Attorney General Mike Moore's office, we will."

Kelsey said the group is circulating a petition seeking an investigation of Aujla's death and will send letters to Moore, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, the Indian ambassador, and U.S. Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran and others. Kelsey said homicides and acts of violence against Indians in the Jackson area also led to the formation of the group to assist in the investigation of violence and aid to families.

Aujla's death leads a list of homicides in the Indian community. Unsolved cases include the shooting deaths of Amarnat Singh in July, Kasemir Singh in 1997, Devraj Sharma in 1996 and Upendra Thakur in 1995.

Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said he was surprised that the Indian community was calling for a further investigation. The sheriff said Kelsey seemed satisfied after McMillin held a news conference Dec. 8 to explain the results of a joint investigation by his department and the Jackson Police Department. McMillin said in the news conference that deputies approached Aujla, identified themselves and asked Aujla to raise his hands away from the store counter.