By Vidhi Thacker
On Friday night, the 3rd of October, a 28 year old Indian dental student, was shot dead by an unidentified gunman. Chandrashekar Pole, who was working at a gas station in Dallas, Texas, is originally from Hyderabad. This incident comes just a month after the beheading of another Indian man in the same city.
Chandrashekar moved to the US in 2023 after completing his graduation, for his higher studies. He was working at the gas station part time while he looked for a permanent full-time placement, as he had completed his degree six months ago.
Pole’s mother, Sunitha, talking to ANI, said the family came to know about his death through the parents of his friend, who came to offer their condolences. She urged the central and state governments to take steps to protect Indians abroad and to bring her son’s body home without delay.
The Indian Consulate in Houston, which handles matters in Texas, expressed sorrow over the death of Chandrasekhar Pole, “Consulate General of India, Houston, deeply condoles the tragic death of Mr Chandrasekhar Pole, an Indian student from Hyderabad, who was killed in a shooting incident Denton, Texas. We are in touch with the family and extending all possible assistance. Local authorities are investigating the incident, and we are following up closely with them.”
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the death of Chandrasekhar Pole. He said the incident has brought great shock and grief and offered his heartfelt condolences to Pole’s family. Reddy also assured the family of all possible support from the state government in bringing their son’s body back home.
On Saturday, BRS MLA Sudhir Reddy and T Harish Rao, former minister, met Pole’s family and visited his home in Hyderabad.
The incident in Dallas has once again drawn attention to the safety issues faced by international students in the US, particularly those taking up part-time jobs and working during late hours.