Telangana Techie Shot Dead By US Cops; Family Alleges Racial Bias, Seeks Probe
A 30-year-old software professional from Telangana, Mohammed Nizamuddin, was shot dead by police in Santa Clara, California, earlier this month, with his family now alleging racial discrimination and demanding a thorough probe into the incident . While police claim they shot Nizamuddin after he stabbed his roommate, his family contests this, stating that he had previously complained of racial harassment and was the one who had called the police for help .
The incident occurred on September 3, but Nizamuddin’s family in Mahabubnagar was only informed of his death on September 18 through a friend . According to the Santa Clara Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call about a stabbing and found Nizamuddin inside his residence, armed with a knife and pinning down his injured roommate . Police stated that they opened fire when he failed to comply with their orders, later recovering two knives from the scene . The police chief defended the action, saying it “prevented further harm and clearly saved at least one life” .
However, Nizamuddin’s family has vehemently disputed the official narrative . They claim it was Nizamuddin who called 911 for help after a scuffle with his roommate over a petty issue . His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, has pointed to a LinkedIn post by his son that detailed experiences of “racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage-fraud, [and] wrongful termination” . The family has described him as a quiet and religious person who had gone to the US in 2016 for his master’s degree before becoming a software professional .
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Nizamuddin’s father has requested the government’s urgent intervention to bring his son’s body back to India for the final rites . “I do not know the actual reasons why police shot him dead,” he wrote, appealing to the Indian embassy and consulate for assistance . The conflicting accounts of the tragic incident have now put the focus on the official investigation and the family’s call for justice.
