Indian techie Mohammed Nizamuddin (30) from Mahabubnagar district of Telangana was allegedly shot dead by the police in California earlier this month. In a LinkedIn post he shared two weeks ago, Nizamuddin claimed that he was a “victim of racial hatred and racial discrimination”.
He was shot dead by California police on September 3 following what authorities described as a violent altercation with his roommate.
The LinkedIn post revealed some incidents that the deceased techie had gone through. In a lengthy post, Nizamuddin alleged that he was subjected to racial harassment and systemic discrimination during his employment with Google through EPAM Systems. “I was a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of justice,” he wrote.
What were his claims against his employer?
Nizamuddin alleged that his manager, Oren Yardeni, mocked his “username”, saying, “I do not like your LDAP, your LDAP is weird and confusing.” Yardeni allegedly showed him the middle finger during a meeting, once sliding his right hand diagonally across his face in “super slow motion” during a debate over change lists.
After relocating from Virginia to California in July 2022, his salary was never adjusted in line with Californian wage levels.
He claimed the Labor Condition Application (LCA) was filed with an outdated prevailing wage, while he was paid just USD 120,000 annually, which is lower than both the filed wage of USD 130,894 and the Department of Labor’s bracket of USD 141,000–167,000.
He described this as “total wage fraud”. He alleged that he repeatedly asked for corrections but was instead pushed into a promotion assessment program. Nizamuddin added that even his 2022 annual bonus was released only after he “reminded” the company.
He also alleged that after another colleague, Arturo Schmidt, joined the team, the work culture worsened. Schmidt allegedly showed him the middle finger twice. “Enough is enough, white supremacy, racist white American mentality has to end,” his post read, attaching a long list of documents that included salary slips and emails to support his claims.
In February 2024, Nizamuddin was fired from the job which he called “wrongful termination”. Financial Express reached out to Google for a comment and yet to receive a comment.
Why was he evicted from the house?
Following his job termination, Nizamuddin claimed intimidation escalated through what he described as a “racist detective and team”.
He linked this harassment to eviction proceedings at his shared residence. In the same post, he denied accusations of aggression and property damage at the rental house.
However, he admitted demonstrating door-slamming after co-tenants repeatedly slammed doors, but said a wall crack was accidental.
Nizamuddin said that he pointed a “fragile broomstick” at a co-tenant from a distance after disputes over thermostat tampering. He also alleged that his food was poisoned in May 2025. “I have not engaged in repeated disruptive, aggressive and damaging behavior,” he wrote, insisting he was reacting to “life-threatening behavior” from co-tenants.
Police’s version of events
According to the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD), officers responded to a 911 call early on September 3 reporting a stabbing at a shared residence. They said Nizamuddin was found armed with a knife and pinning down his injured roommate.
“When the officer saw the suspect’s hand holding the knife come down toward the victim, the officer shot four times, striking the suspect with all four of the shots,” a property manager told reporters.
Nizamuddin was rushed to a hospital but later died of his injuries. Police said two knives were recovered from the scene. The roommate was treated for stab injuries.
The property manager added that Nizamuddin had been living there for four years, paying rent regularly, but had recently become “short-tempered and a troublemaker”. He said the process to evict him was already underway when the incident occurred.
Family’s response
Mohammed Nizamuddin’s father, Mohammad Amsuddhin, said, “I was informed today that my son was shot dead in California, America. My son went to study in America in 2016 at Florida College…He moved to California on a promotion, where he was shot dead. I appeal to the MEA Dr S Jaishankar, to bring my son’s body back to India as soon as possible.”
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