WILLIAMSPORT, INDIANA (TIP): A 23-year-old Indian American student at Purdue University, who was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana this week, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to authorities.
Sameer Kamath, a US citizen, was found dead in the woods on February 5 at approximately 5 pm in NICHES Land Trust – Crow’s Grove in Williamsport, Indiana.
Justin Brummett, Coroner at Warren County Coroner’s Office, said in a press release Wednesday that a forensic autopsy was performed on Kamath on February 6 in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
The press release from the coroner’s office said that the preliminary cause of death is a “gunshot wound of the head” and Kamath died by “suicide”. A toxicology report is pending.
“Through extensive investigation by the Warren County Coroner’s Office in conjunction with multiple other local and federal agencies, we are now able to release a preliminary cause and manner of death,” the release said.
The coroner’s office said that prior to releasing this information, Kamath’s family was notified of the results.
This is an ongoing investigation with the Warren County Coroner’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Purdue University Administration and other supporting agencies, it said.
“Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family, and we hope they are respected during such a difficult time,” Brummett said.
A report said that Kamath was a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering. The report added that mechanical engineering head Eckhard Groll said in an email to the ME community that Kamath was from Massachusetts.
He “received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and came to Purdue in the summer of 2021,” the report added.
Kamath was to graduate from the doctoral program in 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile, the report said.
Kamath’s death is the latest in a string of tragic incidents among students of Indian-origin and from India in the US. Last month, another Purdue student 19-year-old Neel Acharya, who had been reported missing, was found dead on the Purdue University West Lafayette campus. Acharya was a US citizen. Authorities have said that there was no trauma or significant injuries found during the autopsy on Acharya and “no foul play is suspected at this time”.
Last month, 25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini was hammered to death by a homeless drug addict in Georgia. Earlier this month, another Indian student, Syed Mazahir Ali, hailing from Hyderabad and pursuing master’s in information technology, was chased and brutally attacked by three unidentified men in Chicago.
Tag: Sameer Kamath
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Indian American Purdue University student Sameer Kamath died by suicide
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Unsafe in the US : Five Indian students dead in five weeks
The fabled American dream is turning out be a nightmare for one Indian student after another. Syed Mazahir Ali was chased and attacked by unidentified men near his house in Chicago on February 4. The incident has left Ali, who moved to the US from Hyderabad about six months ago, traumatized. The attack comes less than three weeks after another student, Vivek Saini, who had recently received an MBA degree, was hammered to death by a homeless drug addict in Lithonia (Georgia). Sameer Kamath of Purdue University, Indiana, was found dead this week; according to the authorities, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another Purdue student, Neel Acharya, was confirmed dead days after being reported missing, while Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old who was studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was found dead last month. The death of Shreyas Reddy (19) was reported last week.
The succession of tragic incidents has raised concerns about the safety and security of Indian students in America. These youngsters, whose parents have spent huge sums of money to send them to the US, are being targeted by petty criminals and drug users/traffickers. There are reports that stress caused by the lack of employment opportunities is pushing some of them to the brink — they are taking drugs or trying to end their lives.
The worrisome situation calls for greater efforts by the Indian community and diplomatic staff in America to reach out to the students and help them cope with myriad problems. They also need to build pressure on law enforcement agencies to probe the cases in a time-bound manner. Exemplary action against the culprits, including those in uniform, can send out a strong message of zero tolerance to crime. Last year’s Seattle incident, in which a police officer made insensitive remarks over the death of university student Jaahnavi Kandula, showed that the rot ran deep. The US media, which is quick to highlight any kind of hate crime in India, needs to give due attention to the plight of Indian students.
(Tribune, India)