• Source:JND
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Santa Clara Shooting: A 30-year-old man from Telangana, Mohammed Nizamuddin, was shot dead by police in Santa Clara, California, earlier this month after what authorities described as a violent altercation with his roommate. The incident has left his family in Mahabubnagar district devastated, with relatives now appealing to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to help bring back his mortal remains.

According to the Santa Clara Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call around 6.18 am on September 3 from the 1800 block of Eisenhower Drive. The call reported a violent fight between two roommates. By the time police arrived, the situation had escalated.

Chief of Police Cory Morgan said the first responding officer forced entry after hearing a commotion. Inside, he saw Nizamuddin allegedly pinning his roommate to the ground and stabbing him repeatedly. “The officer issued verbal commands, but the suspect ignored them and raised his arm with a knife to strike. At that point, the officer fired four rounds, all of which struck the suspect,” Morgan told reporters. Nizamuddin was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead at 7.22 am. His roommate, who sustained multiple stab wounds, remains in stable condition.

Family In Telangana Seeks MEA’s Help

Back home in Mahabubnagar, Nizamuddin’s father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, said he was informed of the tragedy by a friend of his son. The family received confirmation from Santa Clara officials later.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Hasnuddin appealed for urgent intervention to bring back his son’s body. “This morning, I came to know he was shot dead by the Santa Clara Police and his mortal remains are in some hospital in California. I do not know the actual reasons why police shot him dead,” the grieving father wrote. Relatives also urged the Telangana government and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco to expedite the repatriation process.

Calls For Inquiry Into Police Action

Nizamuddin had gone to the United States in 2016 to pursue his Master’s degree at Florida College. After completing his MS, he secured employment as a software professional. Recently promoted, he had moved to California for work. “He was hardworking and had a bright future. This tragedy has shattered the entire family,” said a relative, adding that the fight reportedly began over a petty household dispute involving an air conditioner.

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While police maintain that the use of force was necessary to protect the victim, some family members expressed concern about the speed of the shooting. “It is extremely regrettable that, according to reports, no proper inquiry took place and the shooting happened so quickly,” a relative told ANI. Amjed Ullah Khan, spokesperson for Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), also shared Hasnuddin’s letter on social media platform X, urging the MEA to step in.

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As investigations continue in California, Nizamuddin’s parents are anxiously waiting in Mahabubnagar for his body to be flown back. “We request the Indian government to bring our son home at the earliest. We have no other demand,” his father said. For the family, closure will only come once Nizamuddin is laid to rest in his hometown.