Indian techie,30, shot dead by US police, family seeks help

A 30-year-old software engineer from Telangana, Mohammed Nizamuddin, was shot dead by police in Santa Clara, California, on September 3, after allegedly attacking his roommate with a knife.

According to a statement cited by US media, Santa Clara police said they found Nizamuddin inside his residence pinning down his injured roommate while holding a knife. Officers opened fire, and he was later pronounced dead in hospital.

“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,” the police said, adding that updates would follow as inquiries progress.

Nizamuddin’s father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, told Times of India that the family only learnt of his death on September 18, through a friend in California.

Speaking to PTI, he said: “Today morning, I came to know he was shot dead by Santa Clara Police and his mortal remains are in some hospital in Santa Clara, California. I do not know the actual reasons why police shot him dead.”

The family pointed to a LinkedIn post by Nizamuddin in which he alleged: “I have been a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage-fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of justice.”

Nizamuddin had pursued a Master’s in Computer Science in Florida before moving to California for work in a tech firm. His father has requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to help repatriate his body to Mahbubnagar, Telangana.

Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who met the family, said he has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to take up the matter with the Indian Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in San Francisco.

A relative told ANI that a dispute with a roommate over an air conditioner had escalated into violence. “When the police entered the room, they asked the occupants to show their hands. One boy complied; the other did not. The police then fired four rounds. It is extremely regrettable that, according to the reports, no proper inquiry took place and the shooting happened so quickly,” he said.

The family has demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, citing his earlier claims of racial discrimination and workplace harassment.

They have also appealed for immediate assistance from both the central and Telangana governments to bring his remains back to India.