Telangana student shot dead in Chicago; Had stayed back at work to help friend

The 22-year-old student named Sai Teja Nukarapu had gone to the US three months ago to pursue an MBA degree.

A 22-year-old Indian-origin student from Telangana's Khammam district was shot dead by unknown assailants at a gas station near Chicago, United States, where he was working, PTI reported citing family members.

Sai Teja Nukarapu was working at a cash counter in a shopping mall. (Representative Image)

The deceased, Sai Teja Nukarapu, was shot dead in the early hours of Saturday (IST), Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Madhusudan Thatha said citing initial information received from the States.

Thatha, who called on Nukarapu's family at their Khammam residence, said that the victim was not on duty at the time of the incident. He was rather helping a friend who had asked him to stay on for a while as the latter had gone out on some work.

The 22-year-old was working at a cash counter in a shopping mall, an India Today report said.

With a BBA degree from India, Nukarapu was pursuing MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree in the US. He had reportedly gone to America just three months ago.

One of his relatives told reporters that he was only doing a part-time job. It is sad to know that Sai Teja was shot dead when he stayed on at the place of work to help a friend, the relative added.

Meanwhile, MLC Thatha said he spoke to the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) for help in this regard. Nukarapu's mortal remains are likely to reach India next week.

The Consulate General of India in Chicago expressed shock over Nukarapu's death and said it was deeply sad at the student's murder. "We demand immediate action against the culprits. Consulate will extend all possible help to the family and friends of the victim," it added in a post on X.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also reacted to the news and posted on X, "Deeply grieved at this news. Our Consulate is rendering all possible assistance to the family."

This incident comes just a week after a 23-year-old Indian student, Aryan Reddy, also from Telangana, died when he accidentally misfired a hunting gun during his birthday celebration in Georgia's Atlanta.

Reddy hailed from the Sairam Nagar area and had reportedly acquired a hunting gun license in the US just recently. He was a Master of Science student at the Kansas State University.

Notably, a recent report from the US Consulate General revealed that students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana accounted for 56 per cent of all the Indian student visas issued by the US in 2023.

The report showed that students from these states mostly opted for master's degrees in the 'STEM' disciplines - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

According to the latest Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, India has sent more students to the US than any other country for the first time since 2009, with more 331,600 students pursuing higher education in American institutions during 2023-24, a 23 per cent increase over the previous year.

(with PTI inputs)