October 8, 2003	Wednesday	Sha’aban 11, 1424

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WASHINGTON, Oct 7: A Pakistani student died in a New Jersey hospital of wounds he received when attacked by unidentified assailants, the hospital announced on Tuesday.

Nabeel Siddiqui, 24, who was brought to the University Hospital, Newark, following an assault on Sept 25, died on Monday, the hospital said.

He suffered severe neurological injuries and trauma, which caused major damage to different parts of his brain, the hospital said.

He was attacked on Haxtun Avenue in Orange, New Jersey, while delivering a pizza to an address given by telephone.

New Jersey police said the resident of that address was not home at the time of the attack and later said that no one there had ordered a pizza.

Three juveniles from Orange are in custody. They are charged with aggravated assault, robbery, carjacking, and possession of a weapon, police said.

Police said it appeared that the three teenagers used a false pizza order to lure him to Haxtun Avenue, an upscale residential street near the US Veterans Administration Medical Center.

Nabeel was working as a pizza deliveryman while looking for a permanent job.

He was hit in the head with a baseball bat, and his silver 1995 Nissan Altima was stolen, police said. He was found about 9:45 pm on Sept 25, lying in the street, semiconscious and bleeding from his head, said Lt Kevin Sooy.

Nabeel had arrived in America eight years ago from Karachi and graduated with honours from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in May.

Nabeel planned to work for a couple of years as a computer programmer to bring his parents and younger sister to join him in America.

“He was so ready for it,” said his cousin Asim Khan of Westchester, New York. “He was the only son of his parents, and they gave up so much to pay for his education. He wanted to repay that.”