California/Hyderabad, September 19: A 30-year-old man from Telangana was shot dead by US police in Santa Clara, California, earlier this month after what officials described as a violent altercation with his roommate. The victim, Mohammed Nizamuddin from Mahabubnagar district, had recently alleged in social media posts that he was a victim of “racial hatred, discrimination and harassment.”
According to Santa Clara police, officers responded to a 911 call on September 3 about a disturbance between two roommates. In a video statement, police chief Pat Morgan said the situation had escalated when the suspect stabbed his roommate and pinned him to the ground. “The officer tried to de-escalate with verbal commands. But the suspect ignored the commands. When the officer saw the suspect’s hand holding a knife come down towards the victim, the officer shot four times,” Morgan said. Nizamuddin was rushed to a hospital but pronounced dead.
His family in Mahabubnagar said they were informed of the incident by one of his friends in the US. “It is unclear what exactly happened,” said his father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, who has appealed to the Centre to ensure his son’s mortal remains are brought back home.
Before his death, Nizamuddin had posted a series of messages online alleging harassment at his workplace, wage fraud, wrongful termination, and “continued intimidation with the help of a racist detective and team.” He claimed his food was poisoned and that he was being evicted for resisting “unjust” practices. “Oppression of corporate tyrants must end,” he wrote in one of his last posts.
Nizamuddin had been working as a software professional in the US after completing his master’s degree there. His death has sparked calls for intervention, with Majlis Bachao Tahreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan urging External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to help the family.
