Washington: An Indian man was stabbed 15 times inside a shopping mall near Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah, allegedly because of his religion, media reports said. Syed Sohailuddin, an employee of the Valley City Mall in West Valley City, Utah, was stabbed Monday afternoon by Peter Michael Larson, who asked the victim his religion, Fox 13 News reports. The suspect, Larson, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and carrying a prohibited dangerous weapon. According to court records, he told police he targeted the employee because of her religious beliefs, ABC News reports. Sohailuddin was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. Larson was also hospitalized after she was punched in the head by people who came forward to stop the alleged attack.The Consulate General of India in San Francisco said it was deeply saddened by the incident. “The Consulate is in close contact with friends and family and stands ready to provide all possible consular assistance. We are engaged with local authorities and will continue to monitor the case closely,” the Consulate said in a post on Twitter.“An affidavit filed by authorities in court said it would be dangerous to release Larson from prison, “based on his violent actions today” and based on his ideologies. PTI