India urges US to grant urgent visas to injured Neelam Shinde's family

Neelam Shinde, 35, from Satara district in Maharashtra, was critically injured when she was hit by a car while out for a walk in California on February 14

Indian authorities have interceded with their US counterparts to grant visas to relatives of an Indian woman battling for her life in a hospital in California after sustaining serious injuries in a road accident, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The external affairs ministry took up the matter with US authorities. (X)

Neelam Shinde, 35, from Satara district in Maharashtra, was critically injured when she was hit by a car while out for a walk on February 14. The student of California State University was admitted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where she is in the intensive care unit.

Shinde’s family sought the government’s help to get American visas for some relatives to travel to the US as soon as possible. The external affairs ministry has taken up the matter with US authorities, the people said on condition of anonymity. “The US side is looking into formalities for early grant of visas for the family,” one of the people said.

Shinde’s family learnt of the accident two days after it occurred. “We got to know about the accident on February 16 and have been trying for a visa since then. But we have not got it yet,” her father Tanaji Shinde told the media.

The car reportedly hit Neelam Shinde from behind and she sustained serious injuries to her arms, legs, chest, and head.