A 30-year-old software engineer from Telangana, India, was fatally shot by police in the United States earlier this month following what authorities say began as a dispute with his roommate and escalated into violence.
The victim, identified as Mohammed Nizamuddin, had been employed in Santa Clara, California. He was fatally shot on Sept. 3 after an altercation inside his home led officers from the Santa Clara Police Department to open fire, according to both police statements and accounts from his family.
His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, said the family did not learn about the incident until Thursday. “We got the information only this (Thursday) morning,” his father told to PTI.
“Today morning, I came to know he (Nizamuddin) was shot dead by Santa Clara Police and his mortal remains are in some hospital in Santa Clara, California. I do not know the actual reasons why the police shot him dead,” Hasnuddin wrote to the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, as quoted by HT.
Hasnuddin said he learned from one of his son’s friends that the dispute with the roommate started over a trivial matter. A relative later told ANI that the argument was connected to an air conditioner and eventually escalated, with knives reportedly being used.
Karnataka techie couple, son found dead in double murder-suicide (August 22, 2023)
“When the police entered the room, they asked the occupants to show their hands. One boy complied; the other did not. The police then fired four rounds, and the child was shot. It is extremely regrettable that, according to the reports, no proper inquiry took place and the shooting happened so quickly,” the relative said.
Hasnuddin has appealed to Jaishankar, requesting help from the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Consulate General in San Francisco to bring his son’s remains back to Mahabubnagar. Amjed Ullah Khan, a spokesperson for the Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT), released the family’s letter publicly and also called on the minister to step in.
According to a police statement cited by NDTV, officers responding to a 911 call about a stabbing found Nizamuddin inside his Santa Clara home, allegedly armed with a knife and restraining his roommate.
“SCPD officers arrived, encountered the suspect, and were involved in an Officer-Involved Shooting. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced deceased. The victim was transported to a local hospital and is being treated for their injuries,” NDTV quoted a statement as mentioning.
“The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and the Santa Clara Police Department are conducting a joint investigation. This remains an active and open investigation. As the investigation progresses, we expect to provide an update tomorrow afternoon,” the department added.
Indian business daily Mint reported that Nizamuddin had publicly voiced concerns about being targeted before his death. In a social media post, he claimed he was subjected to “racial hatred and discrimination.”
“I have been a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of Justice,” he wrote.
“Today I decided to raise my voice against all odds… Oppression of corporate tyrants must end, and everyone involved in it must be punished severely.”
He further alleged a hostile workplace environment, salary fraud, and wrongful termination. “They altogether wrongfully terminated my employment. It did not end there. They continued their harassment, discrimination and intimidating behaviour with the help of a racist detective and team,” the post read.
Nizamuddin also alleged that his food had been tampered with and that he was being forced out of his residence as retaliation for speaking up against what he described as “unjust” practices.