How an Indian student was brutally beaten in yet another attack in the US

“Please help me”. This distressing plea for help from an Indian student in America has gone viral on social media after he was brutally attacked on the streets of Chicago in the United States. Following the horrific attack, the Indian Consulate in Chicago also stated that it is in touch with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, as well as his wife in India. The Indian mission has assured all possible assistance to Ali, who hails from Hyderabad, and his family. But what exactly happened? How did we end up here? Chased and then beaten up According to Syed Mazahir Ali, who is in Chicago for his Master’s degree, was attacked by four men near his house on Campbell Avenue in Chicago on 4 February. A video, which has since gone viral, shows Ali being chased by the four men, who eventually catch up with him, beat him profusely, and then steal his phone and flee the scene. With blood streaming down his forehead, nose and mouth, Ali can be seen in the video, saying, “Four people attacked me. I was returning home with a food packet in my hand. I slipped near my house and the four people kicked and punched me. Please help me, bro. Please help me.” In the video, which shows Ali panting for breath, he also revealed that the four men stole his phone and fled the scene.

Residing in the Chicago’s North Side, Ali is a resident of Langar Houz in Hyderabad. He’s gone to the US to pursue his Master’s degree from the Indiana Wesleyan University. Ali’s wife, Syeda Ruquliya Fatima Rizvi — who lives in Hyderabad — said that she was informed of the attack in the evening by Ali’s friend. He informed her that Ali was attacked and that he was admitted to a local hospital. Fatima Rizvi has now written a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pleading for help. In the letter which has been shared on social media, she wrote that she was shocked to see him bleeding and “is very worried about his safety and security in the US”. Furthermore, she requested the Union minister to aid her husband with medical treatment and provided the number of a friend so that they could be contacted. Ali, who has since returned home from the hospital, told local media: “This is something I cannot forget. He was holding a gun on me, and two more on my head. There were punches on my eye, and they were hitting me with their legs on my face, on my ribs, on my back.” “America is my dream country. I came here to fulfil my dreams and do my master’s, but the incident gave me trauma,” Ali said. In the meantime, the Indian Consulate in Chicago has reached out to Ali and assured him of all assistance. They have also contacted the local authorities who are investigating the case. Abdul Wahab Mohammed, Ali’s cousin, was quoted as saying, “Sometimes, I feel I should discontinue my Master’s and go back to my home country. Thinking about it and seeing such incidents, there is no proper security over here.” [caption id=“attachment_13698282” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The US continues to be the top destination for Indian students. In the academic year, 2022-2023, a whopping 2,68,923 Indians chose US as their educational destination. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay[/caption] Indian students under attack The incident comes in the wake of other Indian-origin students being found dead in the United States this year, raising concerns about security and safety in the ‘land of the free’. Just last week, Shreyas Reddy Beniger , a 19-year-old, was found dead in Ohio. Benigeri was a student of the Lindner School of Business, Cincinnati. According to the Consulate General of India’s statement, no foul play has been suspected. Benigeri’s death came days after Neel Acharya , another Indian-origin student, was found dead near Purdue University in Indiana. Acharya was pursuing a double major at the prestigious university. And before that, Vivek Saini , a 25-year-old Indian student was fatally attacked by a homeless drug addict in Lithonia city, Georgia. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media, but the date of the incident couldn’t be confirmed. In January, Akul B Dhawan, an 18-year-old Indian-American student, was found dead with signs of hypothermia on the back porch of a building near the University of Illinois. The student at the university had gone missing in the early hours of 20 January and was later found dead. The United States continues to remain the top choice for students from across the globe. According to data made available, the US hosted 10,57,188 international students in the 2022-2023 academic year. Of these, 2,68,923 were Indians, making them the second-largest population of students behind China. However, growing incidents of students being found dead in the US has raised concerns, which has even found a voice in Parliament. On 2 February, replying to a query in Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that as per the information available “403 incidents of death of Indian students abroad have been reported since 2018 due to various reasons, including natural causes, accidents and medical conditions”. Breaking it down, he said of the 403 deaths, 36 were recorded from the US. He further added that the welfare of Indian students abroad was one of the most important priorities of the government. “Wherever Indian students are enrolled in universities abroad; the Missions keep in regular touch with them. Heads of Mission/Post and senior officials visit Universities and educational institutions for regular interactions with Indian students and student associations,” he said. With inputs from agencies