Indian-origin man, 41, dies days after being assaulted in US

Washington: A 41-year-old Indian-origin man has died in United States, days after suffering life-threatening injuries as a result of an assault in downtown Washington, police said.

The deceased, according to the police, was identified as Vivek Taneja of Alexandria, Virginia.

According to the police report, the incident took place on February 2 at approximately 2:00 am (local time), following which Taneja was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

"On Friday, February 2, 2024, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Second District officers responded to the listed location for reports of an assault. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male suffering from life-threatening injuries as a result of an assault. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment," the Metropolitan Police Department's official release said.

However, due to critical injuries, on February 7, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The incident comes amid a sudden increase in attacks and deaths of Indians and Indian-Americans in the United States.

The Metropolitan Police in Washington, DC, has been seeking public assistance in identifying and locating the suspect.

"Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch seek the public's assistance in identifying and locating a suspect involved in a homicide that occurred in the 1100 block of 15th Street Northwest," the release said.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

"Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department's TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411," the release added.

This week, in yet another distressing incident, an Indian student faced a brutal attack in Chicago on February 7. Following the attack, the Indian Consulate in Chicago stated that it is in touch with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, as well as his wife in India.

Videos on social media that surfaced showed Ali bleeding heavily as he described the horrific incident.  Meanwhile, another video circulating on social media, which appears to be CCTV footage of the incident, showed Ali being chased by three attackers on the streets of Chicago.

Last week, an Indian student in the United States named Shreyas Reddy was found dead in Cincinnati, Ohio. The cause of his death, however, remains unknown as of now.

According to reports, Reddy was a student at the Linder School of Business.

The Indian Consulate in New York expressed regret about the incident and said that it was in touch with his family and was extending all possible assistance to them.

Notably, it was the third death of an Indian student within a span of a week.

On January 30, Neel Acharya, a student at Purdue University, was found dead after being missing for days, according to the Tippecanoe County Coroner.

Similarly, on January 29, another Indian student, identified as Vivek Saini, was brutally killed with repeated blows from a hammer by a homeless man inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia, US. A video of the incident went viral on social media, but the date of the incident can't be confirmed.