23-Year-Old Indian-Origin Student Found Dead In US Park

[Anta Assamey]

An Indian-origin student was found dead in the US this week, the fifth incident this year. Sameer Kamath, a doctoral candidate at Indiana's Purdue University, was found dead at a nature reserve on Monday evening, the Warren County Coroner's office confirmed in a statement.

The 23-year-old had completed his master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in August 2023 and held a US citizenship, the statement said. He was set to complete his doctoral program in 2025.

A forensic autopsy would be conducted today, and the report released soon, officials said.

The incident comes just days after another Indian-origin student studying at Purdue University, Neel Acharya, was found dead. His body was found on the campus grounds after his mother filed a missing complaint.

His mother, Gaury, had also sought help on social media to find him, revealing that Neel was last seen by an Uber driver who dropped him off at the campus.

Last week, 19-year-old Shreyas Reddy was found dead in Ohio. Authorities ruled out any foul play or a possibility of a hate crime in the case.

Vivek Saini, pursuing an MBA in Georgia's Lithonia, died on January 16 after he was attacked by a homeless man. Saini was attacked when he refused to provide free food to the man. Faulkner allegedly struck the student 50 times, leading to Saini's death.

These incidents have drawn attention to the challenges faced by the large Indian student community in the United States, numbering over 300,000.

Mental stress, loneliness, and exposure to substance abuse are cited as factors contributing to the gravity of such cases, with experts emphasising the need for increased awareness and support systems to address the mental health concerns of international students.