- Monday, May 20, 2024
The Indian consulate general in the American city said it was in touch with the police and members of the Indian diaspora to track the student, Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, 26, who has gone missing since May 2.
By: Shubham Ghosh
IN THE wake of a growing number of Indian or Indian-origin students dying in the US — some of them under mysterious conditions — yet another student from the southern city of Hyderabad has reportedly gone missing in Chicago since May 2.
The Indian consulate general in the American city said it was in touch with the police and members of the Indian diaspora to track the student, Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, 26, and establish contact with him.
In a post on X, the consulate general said, “The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi is incommunicado since 2nd May. Consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh.”
The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi is incommunicado since 2nd May. Consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh.@IndianEmbassyUS @MEAIndia
— India in Chicago (@IndiainChicago) May 8, 2024
The Chicago Police appealed to the public to provide it with information if they succeeded in locating Chintakindi. In a statement, he said he had gone missing from the 4300 block of Chicago’s N Sheridan Road.
#WATCH | Warangal, Telangana: An Indian student from Telangana, Chintakindi Rupesh Chandra, pursuing a master's from a University in the USA, has been reported missing in Chicago since May 2. pic.twitter.com/f4CSCacMoB
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024
Chintakindi Sadananda, father of the student in Chicago, told Asian News International that his son went to the US on December 11 to pursue a Master’s degree.
“It’s been five months and he used to contact us regularly through WhatsApp call or regular call. But after May 2 we lost touch with him. We waited for 1-2 days but out of fear, we inquired with his roommates. They said, our son Rupesh went out on April 30 and said that he would return in two days but he did not. So we registered a missing complaint with the police with the help of his roommates.
“We gave representation to the chief secretary and government, we also contacted G Kishan Reddy (Indian tourism minister) and gave representation. We also approached the Indian Embassy. Yet we didn’t get any updates about our son. We urge the government to take action in a way to bring back our son safely and fast,” he was quoted as saying.
In a similar incident in April, an Indian student who had gone missing since March was found dead in the state of Ohio, US, the Indian consulate general in New York said.
The ill-fated student, Mohammed Abdul Arfath, was also from Hyderabad and had moved to the US in 2023 to pursue a Master’s degree at Cleveland State University.
The consulate general said it was “anguished” to learn about the death of Arfath and was in touch with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into his death.
Recently, the Indian community has seen a rise in such tragedies, particularly since the beginning of 2024. Also in April, Uma Satya Sai Gadde, an Indian student in Cleveland, Ohio, was found dead and a police investigation is underway.
In February, an Indian student had faced a brutal attack from four persons in Chicago who allegedly robbed him. The Indian consulate in Chicago had said that it was in touch both with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, as well as his wife in India.
Recently, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti assured guardians of Indian students set to leave for the US for studies saying America takes care of the Indian children as its own.
