HYDERABAD– The family of a 30-year-old software professional from Telangana, shot dead by police in California earlier this month, is demanding justice and alleging racial discrimination in the case.
Mohammed Nizamuddin, originally from Mahabubnagar, was fatally shot by Santa Clara police on September 3 after allegedly stabbing his roommate during an altercation. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. His roommate, who suffered injuries, also received medical treatment. The family says they were only informed of his death on September 18.
According to police, the stabbing followed an argument between Nizamuddin and his roommate, prompting a 911 call. Officers said they opened fire after responding to the scene. But the family disputes this account, claiming Nizamuddin himself had called police for help before being shot.
Nizamuddin had pursued a master’s degree in computer science at the Florida Institute of Technology and was working at a tech firm in Santa Clara. His family describes him as a quiet and religious man who had previously spoken out against racial harassment, wage fraud, and wrongful termination.
Just two weeks before his death, Nizamuddin posted on LinkedIn that he was being harassed on racial grounds, underpaid, and even surveilled by a private detective hired by his former employer. His family claims the roommate involved in the fatal altercation was the same detective.
“I have been a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of justice. Enough is enough, white supremacy/racist white American mentality has to end,” Nizamuddin had written on the platform.
His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, has appealed to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene, demanding answers about why his son was shot and seeking the repatriation of his remains. Hasnuddin accused Santa Clara police of a “cold-blooded murder” and pressed for a joint investigation by Indian and U.S. authorities.
Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who met with the family in Mahabubnagar, urged the Indian government to secure a detailed report from its embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco, while assisting with repatriation formalities.
Nizamuddin, who went to the U.S. in 2015 for higher studies, had previously worked at the Virginia Employment Commission and SOCH Company before moving on to EPAM Systems, where he was associated with projects for Google.
The family, who had not seen him in a decade, says they are desperate to have his remains returned to India and to see accountability for his death. (Source: IANS)
