A 29-year-old man from Telangana, India, has died in California following a police shooting. Mohammed Nizamuddin was involved in an incident with law enforcement earlier this month.
Nizamuddin, a resident of the Mahabubnagar district, had moved to the United States in 2016 for educational purposes. He completed his MS at Florida College and worked as a software professional. He received a promotion, which resulted in his move to California.
His father, Mohammed Hasanuddin, has appealed to the Indian government for help in repatriating his son’s remains. Hasanuddin was informed of his son’s death by a friend and is seeking clarification on the events that occurred on September 3rd. He has written to the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, requesting assistance. In his letter, he stated he learned that Nizamuddin was shot by the Santa Clara police and his body was at a California hospital. He is uncertain as to the reason for the shooting.
The available information suggests a dispute with his roommate preceded the tragic event.
Hasanuddin is urging Jaishankar to contact the Indian embassy in Washington D.C. and the Indian consulate in San Francisco to arrange for the return of his son’s body to Mahabubnagar.
A relative of the deceased described that a disagreement with the roommate, concerning air conditioning, escalated into a physical fight that involved knives. The neighbors then alerted the police.
According to the relative, when the police arrived, they instructed the men to raise their hands. One did, while the other did not. The police then discharged four shots, resulting in Nizamuddin’s death. The relative raised concerns about the lack of a thorough investigation before the shooting.
The family has also requested the assistance of the Telangana government to help in bringing the body back to Mahabubnagar. They have yet to receive complete information on the case.
Amjadullah Khan, a representative of the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT), shared the letter from Hasanuddin to Jaishankar on X (formerly Twitter) and appealed for aid to the family.