'No Foul Play': MEA Rules out Interconnectedness in Deaths of 5 Indian Students in US

New Delhi – Addressing the deaths of five Indian students in the United States in a span of few weeks, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday ruled out any sort of “foul play”. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, gave New Delhi's stance on the matter in a regular press briefing. Calling the killings “unfortunate” the ministry made it clear that the five instances were interrelated. Two months into the year 2024, two Indian nationals and three individuals were killed across the country. Addressing the situation, the Indian official gave an update on the respective cases. 

"There are five Indian students who have died that also includes students from the diaspora. These five deaths... Of these five deaths, two people are Indian nationals and the rest three are of Indian origin. They are US nationals," Jaiswal said. in the press briefing. He started giving an update on the matter by discussing the case of Vivek Saini. “The culprit has been arrested and the local authorities are investigating the matter and taking it forward,” the MEA spokesperson mentioned. Saini was brutally killed in Lithonia, Georgia, after a homeless man brutally slammed him with a hammer at a convenience store in Giorgia. 

Jaiswal made it clear that there was “no foul play” in the death of the Indian student at the Univesity of Cincinnati.  "The second case of an Indian student at the University of Cincinnati. He passed away also. There is no foul play. This is what the preliminary report says. No foul play in that particular case as well. But we await the medical report," Jaiswal averred.

The cases are not interconnected

During the Thursday press briefing, the MEA spokesperson made it clear that there was a “lack of interconnectedness” in all the cases. However, Jaiswal emphasised that New Delhi is actively engaged with local authorities, consulates, and missions to support the affected families. "The other three deaths that have happened are those of people of Indian origin who are US nationals. We are in touch with local authorities there in the cases of Indian nationals. As our consulate and our mission, they are in touch with family members. They are also in touch with the students," he explained. The Indian official went on to reiterate the country's commitment to assisting Indian nationals abroad and emphasised its ongoing efforts to coordinate with local authorities and ensure the well-being of affected individuals. "You will come to know more when the time comes, but my request to you is that you must see that there is no interconnectedness in this, they are not related," the MEA said.