New Delhi: Amid a series of attacks on Indian students studying in the United States, US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti urged students to remain vigilant and take appropriate safety precautions. The envoy emphasised that students should stay connected with peers and utilize campus safety resources to enhance their awareness and preparedness.
In a recent interview with ANI, Garcetti acknowledged the distressing incidents involving Indian students. Emphasising that such incidents can happen statistically in a country of this scale, he urged the students to remain vigilant and take adequate safety measures.
"First and foremost, any families, and I've talked to some of those families who have faced a tragedy with their own son or daughter. I mean, our hearts go out. We take the justice issues very seriously of bringing to justice any perpetrators with, you know, a quarter million now a year, statistically, this is going to happen. But that's not acceptable to a parent if it happens to your child," Garcetti stated.
US will hold those accountable: Garcetti
Expressing condolences to affected families, he underscored the US government's commitment to ensuring justice for victims and holding perpetrators accountable. Urging Indian students to follow preventive measures, Garcetti advised students to be vigilant and familiarise themselves with safe neighbourhoods and to follow advice given to travellers worldwide.
"The same sort of advice we give to travellers when they go around the world, including in places like India, is that we know that these things can happen, but you can play a role in lessening the risk," he remarked. The envoy underlined the importance of travelling in groups, staying connected with peers, and avoiding risky behaviours, including illegal drug use. Additionally, he encouraged students to engage with campus safety resources to enhance their awareness and preparedness.
With approximately 2,45,000 Indian students pursuing education on American campuses annually, safety has become a paramount issue for both students and their families. Responding to concerns about the perception of safety in American college cities compared to other countries like Australia and New Zealand, Garcetti reassured that while challenges exist, crime rates, especially violent crime, have decreased significantly in recent years.
Neel Acharya was found dead in the same university
Earlier in December last year, another Indian student, Neel Acharya, who was pursuing a double major at Purdue University in the US state of Indiana found dead days after he went missing. "Our son Neel Acharya has been missing since yesterday January 28 (12:30 AM EST) He is studying at Purdue University in the US. He was last seen by the Uber driver who dropped him off at Purdue University. We are looking for any info on him. Please help us if you know anything," his mother Goury Acharya, had posted on X about Neel missing.
Replying to her post, India's Consulate General in Chicago, said: "(The) Consulate is in touch with Purdue University authorities and also with Neel’s family. The consulate will extend all possible support and help." Later, his dead body was recovered. The mystery of death has not been resolved yet and an investigation is still going on.
Vivek Saini was killed by a drug addict
Subsequently, Vivek Saini, another Indian student from Haryana, was hammered to death by a homeless drug addict in Georgia state’s Lithonia city. Saini, a part-time clerk at a store that sheltered Faulkner, had shown kindness to the accused for almost two days and provided him with chips, a coke, water, and even a jacket for warmth, M9 News Channel reported on Sunday. The young student, who had migrated to the US two years ago after completing his B Tech, had recently earned a Master’s in Business Administration. Saini's family in Haryana mourns the loss of the promising young man, describing him as a brilliant student striving for a decent job.
Shreyas Reddy Benigeri
Later, the death of another Indian student Shreyas Reddy Benigeri was reported from the Ohio region. According to the Indian Embassy in New York, the police investigation was underway but no foul play was suspected as of now.
Further, it added that the Consulate remains in touch with the family and is extending all possible assistance to them. "Deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of Mr. Shreyas Reddy Benigeri, a student of Indian origin in Ohio. A police investigation is underway. At this stage, foul play is not suspected. The Consulate continues to remain in touch with the family and is extending all possible assistance to them," according to the social media post of the Indian Embassy in New York.
Akul B Dhawan
On February 1, the Indian Embassy in New York said that an 18-year-old Indian-American student, Akul B Dhawan, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was found dead last month with signs of hypothermia. He went missing in the early hours of January 20 and was found dead almost 10 hours later on the back porch of a building near the university campus in west Urbana in the US state of Illinois.
(With inputs from agency)
