- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Wed, 07 Feb 2024 07:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
As many as five Indian students have died in the United States within a span of less than two months this year. The rising number of deaths on the foreign land has sparked concerns among Indians. The latest among these was the 23-year-old Indian-American student Sameer Kamath, who was found dead in Indiana.
Kamath's body was found in a nature preserve on February 5, the Warren County Coroner’s office reported. The 23-year-old student completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in August 2023 from Purdue University and was pursuing his doctorate.
Recent incidents of deaths of Indians in the United States:
Indian student, Neel Acharya, who had gone missing on January 28, was confirmed dead by his University. The exact reason for death is yet to be ascertained. Acharya was an Honours student studying Computer Science and Data Science at Purdue University in Indiana.
In a horrific incident recorded on CCTV, an Indian student in Georgia's Lithonia was killed by a homeless man named Julian Faulkner. MBA student Vivek Saini was hit over 50 times on his head by a hammer. Saini worked as a part-time clerk at the Chevron Food Mart at Snapfinger and Cleveland Road. On January 16, Saini refused him free food. Besides, he asked him to vacate the premises owing to safety reasons, asserting that he would call the cops if the latter did not comply with his request, as per Livemint. It was only then that Faulkner brutally murdered Saini by repeatedly hitting him with the hammer while he was leaving for home.
19-year-old Shreyas Reddy Beniger, a student at the Linder School of Business in Ohio, was found dead on the university campus. Authorities, however, ruled out any foul play or a possibility of a hate crime in the incident.
An Indian-American student, Akul Dhawan, was found dead on the back porch of the University of Illinois on January 20, 2024. According to the Champaign County Coroner, the initial findings of the autopsy suggested he died from hypothermia. He was reported missing by his friends.
Hyderabad Man Attacked In Chicago
Meanwhile, the video of an Indian student, bleeding profusely after being attacked by robbers, has been fervidly making the rounds across social media platforms. This case, besides others, has escalated the apprehensions of the parents who have either sent or were planning to send their children for studies in foreign countries.
In the now-viral video, Syed Mazahir Ali was seen bleeding from his nose and mouth and pleading for "help" in a video. Ali’s wife on Wednesday wrote to the Foreign Ministry seeking good treatment for her husband. His family asked the government to allow his wife to visit him in the US.
ALSO READ: NCP vs NCP: As Sharad Pawar Faces EC Blow, What Road Could Veteran Politician Take
"I am very much worried about safety and security of my husband in Chicago, USA. I request you to kindly help him in getting best medical treatment and if possible kindly make necessary arrangements so I can travel to USA along with my three minor children to be with my husband," her letter read.
Congress Raises Concerns In Parliament
Congress party on Tuesday raised the issue of the deaths of Indian nationals under mysterious circumstances in foreign nations in Parliament.
“403 Indian students abroad have lost their lives since 2018. Canada reported 91 such cases, followed by the UK with 48 cases. These figures demand our immediate attention. The possibility of a hate crime offence cannot be ruled out. The Indian agencies must interrogate these cases. We must address the root cause of and foster diplomatic ties promoting tolerance, inclusivity & collaborative initiatives. There's an urgent need to establish a comprehensive record to track such cases of violence as well as a faster grievance mechanism,” KC Venugopal said in Rajya Sabha.
