Akul Dhawan, an Indian origin graduate from the University of Illinois, died last month on West Nevada Street in the US after being frozen to death near a club that refused to admit him after a night out with friends, according to Champaign County Coroner’s Office.
On February 20, 2024, the Champaign County Coroner Stephen Thuney issued a statement detailing the official cause of Akul Dhawan’s death. The release stated that the death was unintentional. “An Autopsy was performed on January 20, 2024 that confirmed the death of Dhawan was due to hypothermia. Acute alcohol intoxication and prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures significantly contributed to his death, the press release said.
On February 11, 2024, the community people held a vigil to honor Dhawan in the presence of his parents, who conveyed their grief in a statement to the media. “We have a big massive hole left in our family, we will never be the same, they said.
On January 19, 2024, Dhawan exited the bar at midnight but declined requests to be driven back home by rideshares. All phone calls and text messages that were sent to Dhawan went unattended, and he was reported missing at 1:23AM. As per reports, on the night of Dhawan’s death, the temperature dropped to 27 degrees Fahrenheit.
Last month, the coroner’s office stated that there were no signs of substantial trauma. There was no foul play involved and the death occurred accidentally. Dhawan’s parents have filed a complaint against the University Police department, accusing them of incompetence in searching His body was found just 200 feet away from the location from where he was last reported seen.
After Akul was reported missing, the school authorities looked at the area where he was last seen, the student’s residential hall and the likely path between the two locations including main streets. Police have also investigated local hospitals and made phone calls to students.
Dhawan’s parents who live in California stated they spoke with top university officials this week. They also filed a complaint against local police for negligence. His uncle, Rishab Mahendru stated that to prevent others from undergoing the same ordeal, they would like to learn more about the UI search policy and any issues with its procedures.
Dhawan enrolled in the University of Illinois Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to study robotics despite his parents’ objections that he stays closer to California. Akul Dhawan’s death is the 6th case of an Indian people’s unnatural death in the USA in two months of 2024.
Last year, a similar incident occurred which involved the death of an Indian student identified as Janhavi Kandula was killed after being hit by patrol car driven by police officer Kevin Dave in Seattle. The cop was driving at 74miles per hour on his way to report of a overdose when he hit Kandula at Dexter North Avenue and Thomas Street. As per reports, her body was flung about 100 feet away.
The student was brought immediately to Harborview Medical Centre, but she died of injuries. Later, a video of the police officer joking and laughing over the death of the Indian student had taken a storm over the internet and was followed by a massive outrage. The Indian Consulate in San Francisco had also demanded a probe into the incident and uproar.
Reportedly, as per latest update, it has come to the fore that Dave who collided with Kandula resulting in the latters death will not face any criminal charges due to lack of evidence.
In a statement issued on February 21, 2024, the King County Prosecuting Attorney said, “Kandula’s death is heartbreaking and has impacted communities in King County and around the world.” However, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion stated that she believes there is insufficient evidence to prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Recently, a 23 yar old student named Sameer Kamath was found dead in Warren County in Indiana. He was a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering in Purdue University. Shreyas Reddy, who was a student at the Linder School of Business, was also found dead in Cincinnati in Ohio. But, the cause of his death remains unknown.
Before him, Vivek Saini and Neel Acharya were also found dead in the same week. Notably, Neel Acharya was also a student at the Purdue University. His body was found at the campus on January 30, 2024
Another Indian student Vivek Saini was brutally killed with repeated blows from a hammer by a homeless man inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia, US on January 29, 2024. Also, on February 7, 2024, a 41-year-old Indian-origin man named Vivek Taneja succumbed to his injuries after being grievously assaulted by an unidentified man in downtown Washington in the United States.
