Another Indian student dies in US, this time in bike accident in New York

NEW YORK: An Indian student died in a bike accident in New York on Wednesday, the Consulate General of India informed on Thursday. Shri Belem Atchyuth was a student at the State University of New York.

The Consulate General of India in New York offered condolences to the family of the deceased student, saying that they were in touch with his family members and have also called on local agencies to extend all assistance.

In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in New York stated, “Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth, a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening; our deepest condolences to the family; @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the bereaved family & local agencies to extend all assistance including sending the mortal remains back to India”.

Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth, a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening; our deepest condolences to the family; @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the bereaved family & local agencies to extend all…

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) May 23, 2024

The incident comes amid a spike in the deaths of Indian-origin students in the US. Earlier, in April, an Indian student, who had been missing since March this year, was found dead in the US state of Ohio, the Consulate General of India in New York said.

The Consulate General of India in New York said it was “anguished” to learn about the death of Mohammed Abdul Arfath and was in touch with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into his death.

“Anguished to learn that Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Our deepest condolences to Mr Mohammed Arfath’s family”, read a post on the official X handle of the Consulate General of India in New York.

Arafat, a native of Hyderabad, went to the US to pursue his Master’s degree in IT from Cleveland University in May 2023 but had been missing since March 7 this year. His father, Mohd Saleem, said they received a phone call from an unidentified person, 10 days after his son went missing, claiming that Arafat had been abducted. The unidentified caller also demanded USD 1200 as ransom for his release.

In April, Uma Satya Sai Gadde, an Indian student in Cleveland, Ohio, died and a probe into the death is still underway. Previously, this February, an Indian student faced a brutal attack in Chicago. Taking due cognisance of the incident, the Indian Consulate in Chicago stated that it was in touch with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, as well as his wife in India. (ANI)