Indian Student In US Found Dead Hours After Mom Sought Help Online

An Indian student from Purdue University in the US was found dead hours after his mother sought help from social media to trace him. Neel Acharya had gone missing for a day before his body was discovered on the Purdue campus. The cause of death is unclear. Acharya was pursuing a double major in computer science and data science at the John Martinson Honors College of Purdue University. On the afternoon of January 29, Acharya's mother, Goury, posted on X (Twitter) that he had been untraceable since the previous day.

She sought help from netizens, stating that he was last seen at around 12:30 a.m. on January 28 by an Uber driver who dropped him off on campus. The Indian Consulate in Chicago had responded to the tweet, saying they were in contact with the University for leads.

Consulate is in touch with Purdue University authorities and also with Neel’s family. Consulate will extend all possible support and help. @IndianEmbassyUS @MEAIndia @SandhuTaranjitS

— India in Chicago (@IndiainChicago) January 29, 2024

Indian Student In The US Confirmed Dead

Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office told the media that a fellow student informed officials about the body of a "college-aged male" found on campus at around 10:30 a.m. Purdue Exponent, an independent campus news agency, broke the news on X in the wee hours of January 30 (January 29 in the US). The agency stated that the head of the computer science department Chris Clifton confirmed the news by email.

Neel Acharya, the missing Purdue student, has been confirmed dead, according to an email from the interim head of the Department of Computer Science. A friend said, "He was a loving, caring, charismatic soul."https://t.co/3AO7QE3M0P

— Purdue Exponent (@purdueexponent) January 29, 2024

Tributes for the Indian student poured in soon after the confirmation. Clifton told Purdue Exponent, "It is a shock and a true loss to our community. My condolences go out to (Neel Acharya's) friends, family, and all affected. He was a driven individual and academically talented." Acharya's roommate, Aryan Khanolkar, described him as a "loving, charismatic soul, and will be cherished by all of us." 

This incident raises questions about the safety of immigrant students in the US. Recently, another student in the US State of Georgia was murdered by a homeless man that he had sheltered in his home for two days. 25-year-old Vivek Saini was an MBA student at Lithonia's Alabama University.