Who was Neel Acharya? Second Indian found dead in US in 2 days

An Indian student studying at Purdue University in Indiana who went missing late last week has been found dead. Neel Acharya’s body was discovered on the university campus.

Who was Neel Acharya?

Acharya was was a double major in computer science and data science at the John Martinson Honors College of Purdue University. His LinkedIn profile says he finished his schooling in Pune before joining Purdue in 2022.

Interim CS head Chris Clifton informed students about Acharya’s death in an email written to the university's computer science department. "It is with great sadness that I inform you that one of our students, Neel Acharya, has passed away. My condolences go out to his friends, family, and all affected," Clifton wrote. He described the students as a "driven individual and academically talented" and added that "it's a shock" and a "real loss to our community".

Clifton told The Purdue Exponent that an email from the Office of the Dean of Students was sent to him, confirming the student’s death. "A deceased person was found that matched Neel's description and had Neel's ID on (him)," he said.

Acharya’s friend and roommate Aryan Khanolkar remembered him as a "loving, charismatic soul, and will be cherished by all of us,” according to a report by NDTV.

More Indian students' death

A few days back, 18-year-old Indian-American student Akul B. Dhawan was found dead outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) last week. The initial findings of the autopsy suggested he died from hypothermia, according to the Champaign County Coroner.

Meanwhile, Acharya’s death comes shortly after the tragic death of another Indian student, Vivek Saini. An MBA student in Georgia's Lithonia, he was brutally attacked and killed by a homeless man named Julian Faulkner. The gut-wrenching incident was caught on camera.

Faulkner reportedly hit Saini about 50 times on the head with a hammer. The incident took place at the Chevron Food Mart at Snapfinger and Cleveland Road, as per reports.

Saini was a part-time clerk at a convenience store that sheltered Faulkner, who is a homeless drug-addict. It has been revealed that Saini was generous towards him, and even helped him with chips, a coke, water, and a jacket to keep him warm.

On January 16, Saini reportedly refused to provide free food to Faulkner, NDTV reported. Saini also asked the suspect to leave the premises due to safety reasons and said he would call the police if he did not comply, according to Livemint. This is what may have led to the attack.