A student hailing from Hyderabad sustained serious injuries after being attacked by four armed robbers near his residence in Chicago, United States. The student has been identified as Syed Mazahir Ali, who had gone to the US to pursue a Master's degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. A video recording depicts Ali, bleeding heavily, recounting being kicked and punched by the attackers who also snatched his phone.
What did the victim say?
The incident has triggered alarm, particularly given its occurrence following the deaths of four Indian-origin students in the United States this year. In a video recording shared on X Ali can be seen bleeding profusely as he narrates about the horrific attack. "Four people attacked me. I was returning home with a food packet in my hand. I slipped near my house and the four people kicked and punched me. Please help me, bro. Please help me," he stated.
The CCTV footage also shows Ali attempting to flee from the attackers once he senses danger. The postgraduate student elaborated in the recording that as he stumbled near his residence while attempting to escape, the assailants proceeded to kick and punch him.
Over 400 Indian students died abroad since 2018
A total of 403 Indian students have died in foreign countries since 2018 due to various reasons including natural causes, accidents and medical conditions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Friday. Canada had the highest number of deaths of Indian students at 91, while the United Kingdom followed second with 48 cases, he added.
"As per the information available with the ministry, 403 incidents of death of Indian students abroad have been reported since 2018 due to various reasons including natural causes, accidents and medical conditions," the minister said in the Parliament in response to a question on the safety of Indian students abroad. The minister said the welfare of Indian students in foreign countries is one of the foremost priorities of the government.
The countrywise data presented by the EAM showed 91 Indian students died in Canada, 48 in the UK, 40 in Russia, 36 in the US, 35 in Australia, 21 in Ukraine and 20 in Germany. According to the statistics, 14 Indian students died in Cyprus, 10 each in the Philippines and Italy and nine each in Qatar, China and Kyrgyzstan.
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