A young man from Telangana, India, has died in the United States. The 29-year-old, identified as Mohammed Nizamuddin, was shot and killed by police in California. The incident reportedly occurred following a dispute with his roommate earlier this month.
Nizamuddin, a resident of the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana, had gone to the US in 2016 for higher education. After completing his MS from Florida College, he began working as a software professional. He later moved to California after receiving a promotion.
Nizamuddin’s father, Mohammed Hasanuddin, stated he received information about the incident from a friend of his son. The details surrounding the event of September 3rd, and the exact circumstances of his death, remain unclear. Hasanuddin has appealed to the central government for assistance in repatriating his son’s remains to India. He has written to the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, requesting help. In his letter, he mentioned that he learned Nizamuddin was shot by the Santa Clara police and that his body was at a hospital in California. He expressed his bewilderment about the reason for the shooting.
According to the information received, a minor argument between his son and his roommate escalated. However, the complete details of the incident are still emerging.
Hasanuddin has requested that Jaishankar contact the Indian embassy in Washington D.C. and the Indian consulate in San Francisco to help bring his son’s body back to Mahabubnagar.
Meanwhile, a relative of the deceased stated that the argument with the roommate over the air conditioning escalated into a physical altercation involving knives. Neighbors then contacted the police.
The relative said that when the police arrived, they instructed both men to raise their hands. One complied, the other did not. The police subsequently fired four shots, and Nizamuddin was killed. The relative expressed dismay that the shooting occurred without proper investigation, according to reports.
The relative also appealed for assistance in bringing the body back to India, and urged the Telangana government to help in repatriating the remains to Mahabubnagar. The family has yet to receive complete information.
Amjadullah Khan, spokesperson for the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), shared Hasanuddin’s letter to Jaishankar on X (formerly Twitter) and appealed for support for the family.