Hyderabad/New Delhi, Sep 19
An Indian man was shot by the police in California after he allegedly stabbed his roommate with a knife earlier this month, officials said. However, his family has alleged racial discrimination and demanded a thorough probe into the circumstances leading to his death. According to an NDTV report, they have also sought the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to transport his mortal remains to India.
In a statement, police said Mohammed Nizamuddin, from Mahabubnagar in Telangana, was shot after he was found inside his residence in Santa Clara with a knife on September 3, pinning down his roommate, who had sustained several injuries in a scuffle.
The police said they had reached the residence in response to a 911 call about a stabbing incident. A purported altercation between Nizamuddin and his roommate had gone out of control, leading to the attack.
"SCPD officers arrived, encountered the suspect, and were involved in an Officer Involved Shooting. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where they were later pronounced deceased. The victim was transported to a local hospital and is being treated for their injuries," NDTV reported quoting the police statement.
"The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and the Santa Clara Police Department are conducting a joint investigation. This remains an active and open investigation. As the investigation progresses, we expect to provide an update tomorrow afternoon," it added.
The Indian man’s family, however, said it was Nizamuddin who called the police for help before being shot by them.
Nizamuddin had pursued a Masters in Computer Science at a Florida college and was working at a technology company in California.
The family said that the youth was a quiet and religious person, and had even publicly raised complaints of racial harassment, wage fraud and wrongful termination from his job.
According to NDTV, his family also pointed out a LinkedIn post by him that said: "I have been a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage-fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of Justice. Enough is enough, white supremacy/racist white American mentality has to end."
He also detailed allegations of poisoning of his food, eviction and what he described as continued surveillance and intimidation by a purported detective.
The family has sought a thorough probe into the allegations made by Nizamuddin and the circumstances that led to his death.
According to NDTV, Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who met Nizamuddin's father Mohammed Hasnuddin, said he has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to request the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., and the Consulate General in San Francisco to provide a detailed report on the matter and help with repatriation of the remains of the young man and related formalities.
