An Indian student studying in Chicago, USA, was allegedly brutally attacked by four unidentified men on Sunday, February 4th. The victim, Syed Muzahir Ali, who originally hails from Hyderabad, India, is pursuing his master’s degree in the US.
According to the reports, Syed, who is studying at Indiana Wesleyan University, was chased, beaten and robbed. In a video which surfaced on the social media platform ‘X’ formally Twitter, Syed can be seen profusely bleeding, narrating his horrific ordeal and seeking ‘HELP’.
In a written reply to the parliament, the Indian government says, “403 students have died abroad since 2018.”
Narrating the incident, Syed Muzahir Ali says in the video,” Four people attacked me. I was coming back home after getting food. I live nearby from here.” According to the media reports, Ali moved to the US just six months ago.
Ali looked visibly shattered and scared in the video. He adds, “They beat me with their hands and legs. The attackers also stole my cell phone. Please ‘Help’ me.” Ali’s video has been widely circulated on social media platforms.
Following the brutal attack, the Indian Consulate in Chicago has issued a statement on social media platform X. Stating, “Consulate is in touch with Syed Muzahir Ali and his wife in India Syeda Ruquiya Fatima Rizvi and assured all possible assistance. The consulate has also contacted the local authorities who are investigating the case.”
CCTV footage of the attack was also shared on the social media platform. In this video, Ali can be seen running away after noticing a few men following him. According to abc7, Ali was taken to St. Francis Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-crime-armed-robbery-west-rogers-park-victim-beaten/14385663/
According to the media reports, during the past few weeks, at least six deaths of Indian students have been reported in the United States.
How many Indian students died abroad?
In 2023, Rajya Sabha MP MAUSAM NOOR raised the issue of the safety of Indian students abroad in the parliament.
While replying to her question, The MOS, External Affairs, V Muraleedharan said, ”As per the information available with the Ministry, 403 incidents of death of Indian students abroad have been reported since 2018 due to various reasons including natural causes, accidents and medical conditions.”
According to the External Affairs Ministry data, Canada has reported a maximum of 91 deaths of Indian students. While the USA and UK have reported 36 and 48 incidents respectively.
| Country | Number of Incidents |
| Australia | 35 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Russia | 40 |
| Ukraine | 21 |
| Philippines | 10 |
| Italy | 10 |
| China | 9 |
The growing attacks on Indian students in the US have raised a lot of questions. Yet, the US remains the favourite destination for Indian students to study abroad.
According to the Open Doors Report (ODR) the number of international students from India to the United States increased by 35 per cent and resulted in an all-time high of 268,923 students in the academic year 2022-23. https://in.usembassy.gov/the-united-states-remains-the-top-choice-for-indian-students-pursuing-higher-education-abroad/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Open%20Doors,in%20academic%20year%202022%2D23.
Mayank Bhagwat 