US cops see no foul play in Indian student’s death

WASHINGTON: In yet another tragic incident, an Indian student died in Boston and initial investigation has ruled out any foul play, officials said on Monday.

“Deeply saddened to learn about the unfortunate demise of Mr. Abhijeeth Paruchuru, an Indian student in Boston,” the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X. Paruchuru’s parents are based in Connecticut and are in direct touch with detectives. Initial investigations rule out foul play, the consulate said.

The consulate said it “rendered assistance in documentation and transportation of his mortal remains to India” and it remains in touch with local authorities as well as the Indian-American community in the matter.

According to sources, 20-yearold Paruchuru’s last rites have already been performed in his hometown Tenali in Andhra Pradesh. US-based nonprofit organisation TEAM Aid had helped to bring his mortal remains to India.

Since the beginning of 2024, there have been at least half a dozen deaths of Indian and Indian-origin students in the US. The alarming rise in the number of attacks has caused concern among the community.

In March, Amarnath Ghosh, a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India and a student of Washington University, was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri. Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer Ghosh migrated to the US from West Bengal last year “to follow his dancing dreams”. He was shot several times near the border of St Louis’ Academy and Central West End neighbourhoods. He died on the spot. Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5.

In Feb, Vivek Taneja, a 41-yearold Indian-origin techie, suffered life-threatening injuries during an assault outside a restaurant in Washington, making it the seventh death of an Indian or Indian-American in recent months.