No signs of trauma or injuries found on Neel Acharya's body: Coroner

New York, Jan 31

No signs of trauma or significant injuries have been found during the autopsy of Indian student Neel Acharya, a US county coroner said, confirming that "foul play" is not suspected at the moment in the death of the Purdue University student.

Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said she met with the next of kin of Acharya on Tuesday who confirmed his identity as a "19-year-old Purdue University student".

"On January 29, 2024, a forensic autopsy was performed at the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office on Neel... There was no trauma or significant injuries found during the autopsy. No foul play is suspected at this time," Costello said.

She added that a report on the preliminary cause of death, toxicology and the preliminary manner of death are still pending.

"This is an ongoing investigation with the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office and the Purdue University Police Department," Costello added.

While meeting the next of kin of Acharya, Costello expressed her deepest sympathies and condolences to the family that is going through a "difficult time".

Officials were called around 11.30 am on Sunday to West Lafayette after a "college-aged male" was found deceased outside Maurice J Zucrow Laboratories on Purdue University campus.

Acharya, a double major in computer science and data science at the John Martinson Honors College, had gone missing last week just before his death.

According to Goury Acharya, her son was last seen by the Uber driver who dropped him off in Purdue University.

Chris Clifton, the university's Computer Science head called Acharya a "driven individual and academically talented".

Acharya's friend and roommate, Aryan Khanolkar, told The Purdue Exponent, the university's student-run newspaper, that he was a "loving, charismatic soul, and will be cherished by all of us".

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