“US Wonderful Place To Study, Be Safe”: Envoy After Indian Students’ Deaths

Amid the rising number of attacks on Indian-origin students, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Friday said they are committed to making sure that Indians know that the United States is a “wonderful place to study and be safe.” 

Speaking to the news agency ANI, he also said that their hearts are always touched when any tragedy occurs.

“Our heart always is touched when any tragedy occurs, whether it is a life taken by somebody or any violence – no matter who they are. We are very committed to making sure that Indians know that the United States is a wonderful place to study and to be safe,” Mr Garcetti told ANI.

He said that more Indians are studying in the US than any country in the world. 

“Over 2,00,000 visas were granted just last year,” Mr Garcetti, who is serving as the 26th United States Ambassador to India since March 2023, said.

2 Indian, 3 Indian-Origin Students Have Died In US This Year

Two Indian nationals and three Indian-origin students have died in the US so far this year.

25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini was fatally attacked in Georgia state’s Lithonia city by a homeless drug addict. Another Indian student — Shreyas Reddy — died in Cincinnati, where the local authorities said that there was no “foul play” involved in his death. 

Earlier this week, Syed Mazahir Ali, an Indian student was attacked by robbers in Chicago. 

In a video doing rounds on social media, he was seen being chased by three men on February 4. In a separate video, he was seen describing his ordeal with a bloodied nose and face and blood stains on his clothes.

Indian-Origin Man Assaulted On US Street Dies

An Indian-American executive also died earlier this week, days after he was found with life-threatening injuries following a fight outside a restaurant in Washington.

Vivek Taneja, 41, was “knocked to the ground by the suspect and hit his head on the pavement” at a restaurant on February 2, The Washington Post reported, citing an official as saying.

He died from the injuries at a hospital on Wednesday.