A 23-year-old Indian student, Nitheesha Kandula, has been reported missing in California since May 28. Kandula, a student at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), was last seen in Los Angeles and reported missing on May 30, according to a statement by CSUSB Police Chief John Guttierez.
Authorities have described Kandula as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing around 160 pounds, with black hair and black eyes. She is believed to be driving a 2021 Toyota Corolla with an unknown color but bearing a California license plate.
The CSUSB Police Department, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is seeking public assistance in locating Kandula. They have urged anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to contact the CSUSB Police at (909) 537-5165 or (909) 538-7777, or the LAPD’s Southwest Division at (213) 485-2582.
This incident adds to a troubling series of disappearances and deaths involving Indian students and Indian-Americans in the United States in recent months. Last month, 26-year-old Rupesh Chandra Chintakind went missing in Chicago. In April, 25-year-old Mohammad Abdul Arfath, also an Indian student, was found dead in Cleveland after being missing since March.
Other recent tragic incidents include the shooting death of 34-year-old classical dancer Amarnath Ghosh in St. Louis, Missouri, and the discovery of Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student, dead in a nature preserve in Indiana in February. Additionally, 41-year-old Indian-origin IT executive Vivek Taneja suffered life-threatening injuries during an assault in Washington in February, and 18-year-old University of Illinois student Akul Dhawan died in January due to hypothermia and alcohol intoxication.
