New Delhi, In a distressing trend, an Indian-origin doctoral candidate at Purdue University in the US state of Indiana, Sameer Kamath, 23, was found dead at a nature reserve, marking the fifth such demise among Indian-origin students in the United States this year. This incident is the second involving students of Indian-origin at Purdue University in less than two weeks.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the series of unfortunate events began with the death of Shreyas Reddy Beniger, a 19-year-old student at the Lindner School of Business in Ohio State, whose death has been investigated without suspicion of foul play by local authorities. Following closely was the death of Neel Acharya, also at Purdue University, found after being reported missing since January 28, with the cause of death still under investigation.

Earlier incidents include the tragic death of Vivek Saini, a recent MBA graduate in the State of Georgia, who was killed by a homeless drug addict on January 16. Additionally, Akul B Dhawan, an 18-year-old student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was found dead last month, further contributing to the alarming pattern.

In a separate but related incident, Syed Mazahir Ali, an IT student originally from Hyderabad, India, and currently pursuing a Master’s at Indiana Wesleyan University, was chased and attacked by unidentified men near his house in Chicago. Ali had moved to the US approximately six months ago and survived the attack.

These incidents have cast a spotlight on the safety of Indian-origin students in the United States, prompting concerns among the diaspora and calls for increased protection measures for international students. The repeated tragedies involving young Indian-origin individuals in various states across the US underscore the need for heightened awareness and support systems for students abroad.