Telangana: A month on, grieving father of man shot dead by US Police seeks justice

Hyderabad: Mohammed Hasnuddin, a retired government teacher from Telangana's Mahbubnagar, is still struggling to come to terms with the death of his 32-year-old son, Mohammed Nizamuddin.

He was shot dead by Santa Clara police in the United States on September 3 after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a knife.

When Nizamuddin’s mortal remains finally reached his home in the last week of September, the grief came with a heavy financial burden.

The family spent Rs 7.6 lakh to bring the body to India, after learning of the incident only two weeks later, on September 18. Hasnuddin now faces another Rs 2.6 lakh expense to bring back his son’s belongings.

While alleging a deliberate cover-up and foul play by US police, Hasnuddin is now seeking the help of lawyers, social organisations or human rights organisation from the USA to fight his son's case in a court.

“It’s more than 45 days since my son was shot dead, but we have not received the postmortem report or any official communication from the US authorities or the Ministry of External Affairs. Why was he shot dead within minutes of the police entering the apartment?” Hasnuddin asked.

Hasnuddin described Nizamuddin as a soft-spoken, down-to-earth young man. “I have no strength to fight a case in the US, but I want justice. I appeal to any lawyer, social organisation, or human rights group in the US to help me get justice for my son,” he added.

“We had to arrange Rs 7.6 lakh by pledging a small plot to bring the body,” Hasnuddin told DH.

Before his death, Nizamuddin had allegedly faced immense professional and emotional distress, according to his LinkedIn post.

He was working for IT consulting firm EPAM Systems, which contracted him to Google. In a detailed LinkedIn post shared weeks before his death, he alleged harassment, racial discrimination, wrongful termination, wage fraud, and torture at his workplace.

His employer allegedly withheld his visa extension in July 2023 and changed his visa status to B2 in February 2024, leaving him vulnerable and jobless.

Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader Amjed Ullah Khan, who has been helping the family, alleged “step-motherly treatment” from officials at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, and the Consulate General in San Francisco.

“When the incident happened, the Santa Clara police never informed the Embassy or Consulate. Until the father himself approached the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, both were unaware of the case. The family had to spend Rs 7.6 lakh to bring back the body, and officials have now dumped the deceased’s belongings in a garage, demanding another Rs 2.5 lakh to ship it to Hyderabad,” Khan said.