Mohammed Zaid, a young student from Old Malakpet, Hyderabad, was critically injured after being hit by a speeding car in Connecticut, US, on September 7. He later succumbed to his injuries. His grieving family has appealed to the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, over visa struggles.
Mohammad Zaid succumbed to injuries
Zaid had travelled to the US in July 2024 to pursue his graduation at the School of Health Professionals, University of Bridgeport. On the night of the accident, at around 11 pm, he was on his way to a grocery store when tragedy struck. He was admitted to St Vincent’s Medical Centre, Hartford Healthcare, in Bridgeport for treatment. He was later pronounced dead.
“A student from Hyderabad who reportedly met with a road accident in Connecticut, USA, recently succumbed to his injuries,” said Amjed Ullah Khan, Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader. He has been coordinating with Zaid’s family since the incident.
Family struggling for visas
Khan said that the victim’s parents tried to travel to the US but could not do so “due to unavoidable circumstances”. Following this, Zaid’s father, Mohammed Ismail, appealed to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to instruct Indian Embassy officials in Washington and the Consulate General of India in New York to help the family visit their son, TOI reported.
Ismail said he had applied for a visa for himself, his wife and his brother, but requested US authorities to expedite the process.
Khan also wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on September 10 seeking assistance for the family. He learnt about the incident from Hyderabadis living in the US.
Criticism of Indian diplomatic missions
Khan expressed disappointment over the lack of response from Indian officials. In posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “Very sad to note that there was no response from the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, Consulate General of India in New York, USA Embassy in New Delhi, and US Consulate in Hyderabad post accident of Mohammed Zaid in Connecticut.”
He further added: “No official of the Embassy of India in Washington nor the Consulate General of India in New York visited the hospital to see the injured Mohammed Zaid, nor did they speak to his parents.”