Chicago: Hyderabad student at Indiana Wesleyan University attacked by robbers, injured

Hyderabad: A Hyderabad student at Indiana Wesleyan University in Chicago was seriously injured in an attack by armed robbers near his house at Campbell Ave, Chicago.

Identified as Syed Mazahir Ali, a resident of Langar Houz, Hyderabad, he is pursuing a Master's in Information & Technology at Indiana Wesleyan University.

CCTV footage on Campbell Avenue shows how right before the robbery at around 1 AM, a black car was circling near the block. They got out of the car and hid behind another car waiting for the victim. As Ali was walking down, the three ran behind him and attacked.

A video that went viral shows the student, who was bleeding saying that he was kicked and punched by the robbers and that his phone was snatched.

"This is the incident which I cannot forget in my life. Three people ran behind me, attacked and kicked. They put gun at point blank" said Ali speaking to the media in Chicago.

Reacting to the incident, Ali's friends expressed serious concern about safety and security.

In a letter to Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs Govt of India, the victim’s wife Syeda Ruqufya Fatima Razvi said that she a call around 6 PM on February 4 from one of her husband's friends that he had been attacked very badly and robbed at Campbell Ave, Chicago while he was near his apartment and has been taken to some Hospital.

Worried about the situation of her husband in Chicago, she requested the officials to make necessary arrangements for her to travel to the USA along with her three children.

Consulate General of India in Chicago stated that they are in touch with Syed Mazahir Ali and his wife in India Syeda Ruquiya Fatima Razvi and assured all possible assistance. The consulate has also contacted the local authorities who are investigating the case.

It may be recalled that last week, an Indian-American student Shreyas Reddy Benigeri was found dead in Ohio. This marks the fourth such incident within a month, raising questions and prompting thorough investigations by local authorities. Neel, a student at Purdue University was found dead near the university airport. There was also an attack on 25-year-old Vivek Saini in Georgia. 18-year-old Akul B Dhawan was found dead at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, He was discovered with signs of hypothermia.

A total of 403 incidents of death of Indian students abroad have been reported since 2018 due to various reasons including natural causes, accidents, and medical conditions. Canada tops the list with 91 cases followed by 48 in the UK.