Indus Valley Times

HOUSTON, JUN 3: A 23-year-old Indian student is missing in the US state of California since last week and police have sought the public’s help in finding her, the latest case in the country as the community grapples with a string of such incidents involving students.

Nitheesha Kandula, a California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) student, went missing on May 28, according to the police.

She was last seen in Los Angeles and was reported missing on May 30, John Guttierez, Chief of Police, CSUSB, said in a post on X on Sunday.

“#MissingPersonAlert: California State University, San Bernardino Police along with our partners in #LAPD, is asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of @CSUSBNews Nitheesha Kandula, to contact us at: (909) 537-5165,” the police said.

Kandhula was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, and around 160 pounds (72.5 kgs) in weight with black hair and black eyes, police said in a written statement.

She was possibly driving a 2021 Toyota Corolla with a California license plate, the colour of which was unknown, according to the statement.

Urging people with information on her whereabouts to contact authorities, police said, “Anyone with information is urged to contact the CSUSB Police Department at (909) 538-7777, or the LAPD’s Southwest Division at (213) 485-2582.”

Nitheesha Kandula, a California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) was last seen in Los Angeles.

Indian student missing in Chicago since May 2

Last month, 26-year-old Rupesh Chandra Chintakind, an Indian student was reported missing in Chicago.

Earlier in April, a 25-year-old Indian student missing since March was found dead in the US city of Cleveland.

Mohammad Abdul Arfath, hailing from Nacharam, Hyderabad, arrived in the US last year in May to pursue a Masters in IT from Cleveland University.

In March, a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India, Amarnath Ghosh, was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri.

Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5.

On February 2, Vivek Taneja, a 41-year-old Indian-origin IT executive, suffered life-threatening injuries during an assault outside a restaurant in Washington.

In January, 18-year-old Akul Dhawan, a University of Illinois student was found unresponsive outside a campus building.

Investigations revealed that he died due to hypothermia, with authorities ruling that acute alcohol intoxication and prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures significantly contributed to his death.

Nitheesha Kandula, a California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) was last seen in Los Angeles.

Missing for a month, Hyderabad student found dead in US’s Cleveland

In February, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed his concern over the attack on an Indian IT student from Hyderabad in the US and said that his government would set up a dedicated help desk for all youth living there, as well as in other countries to ensure that all their needs are met.

In a post on social media platform X by the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Revanth Reddy urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to convey his government’s concerns over safety of students and citizens living in the US in the wake of the attack on the Hyderabad-native Syed Mazahir Ali in Chicago.

“Very disconcerted to learn of the attack on Syed Mazahir Ali, a student from #Hyderabad, by four robbers in #Chicago. This follows a fatal attack on B. Shreyas Reddy, who was killed in Ohio.

I request Hon’ble External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar ji to kindly convey our concerns over the safety of our students and citizens living there.

My government will set up a dedicated help desk for all youth living in the USA, and other countries, especially students, to ensure all their needs are met.” the Telangana CMO posted on X.

“It is my assurance to all citizens of #Telangana – wherever on earth you are – the Congress government is there for you! CM Sri @Revanth_Anumula, ” the Telangana CMO said in the post.

Ali, who moved to the US from Hyderabad about six months ago, was brutally attacked by unidentified men near his house in Chicago.

In a video posted on social media, Syed Mazahir Ali is seen being chased by three men on February 4 night.

-The New Indian Express