New Delhi: India on Friday assured all possible assistance to the family of the 30-year-old Indian techie who was shot dead by the local police in the United States after he allegedly stabbed his roommate with a knife.
“There has been an incident in California. We are in touch with the family. We understand that an investigation is underway by local authorities. You would have also seen that the local police department has put out a video and a statement detailing the circumstances. We are in touch with the family and will provide all possible assistance in this matter,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
Mohammed Nizamuddin, from Mahabubnagar in Telangana, was shot dead by police in California on September 3, but the family received the information only on Thursday.
The youth was shot after he allegedly stabbed his roommate with a knife at his residence in Santa Clara. He was shifted to a local hospital, where he later succumbed. The victim was also admitted to the hospital for treatment of injuries he suffered in stabbing.
According to the Santa Clara Police, an argument between Nizamuddin and his roommate had escalated, leading to the stabbing. The police said they responded to a 911 call about a stabbing incident inside the house.
Nizamuddin’s family, however, claimed that it was he who had called the police for help before being shot.
Nizamuddin had pursued post-graduation in Computer Science at a college in Florida and was working at a tech firm in Santa Clara, California
According to the family, 15 days before being shot dead, he had posted on LinkedIn how he was being harassed on racial grounds and not being paid a proper salary, and the company where he was working, despite removing him, had hired a detective to watch his movements. The family claimed that the roommate who was quarrelling with him frequently was the same detective.
“I have been a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage fraud, wrongful termination, and obstruction of Justice. Enough is enough, white supremacy/racist white American mentality has to end,” the techie had posted on LinkedIn.
The family demanded a thorough probe into the allegations and the circumstances that led to his death.
(IANS)
