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Father of Indian-American student found dead in Illinois rips police: ‘They never searched for him’
An Indian-American student named Akul Dhawan was found dead outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) last week
An Indian-American student named Akul Dhawan was found dead outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) last week, and his father has now criticised the police for inaction. The initial findings of the autopsy suggested he died from hypothermia, according to the Champaign County Coroner.
Dhawan was reported missing by friends to campus police around 1:30 am on January 20. He was a freshman at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“The reason they never found him is because they never searched for him and he was right there, he was right there," Dhawan’s father, Ish Dhawan, told The Messenger. A school employee found him dead the same day around 11 am on the back porch of a building,” police said.
“An autopsy was performed today, January 23, 2024, and the preliminary findings showed no evidence of significant trauma. There was evidence of hypothermic skin changes. The final autopsy report is pending toxicology studies,” the Champaign County Coroner stated.
Ish claimed that police were provided the last known location of Dhawan’s cell phone hours before his body was found. He was discovered just 400 feet away. “If they looked, how did they not find him right there?” Ish questioned.
The police said in a statement, “University Police searched the area where the student was last seen, the student’s residence hall and the likely path between the two locations, including the main Quad and streets. Police also checked local hospitals and attempted to reach the student via telephone. The search did not yield any additional information about his possible location.”
“At 11:08 a.m. Saturday, police and emergency medical services were dispatched after a U. of I. employee found the man on the back porch of a building. He was deceased at the time he was found. The University of Illinois Police Department is coordinating release of the student’s name with the Champaign County Coroner’s Office. The student’s family has been notified,” it added.
