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Sameer Kamath, an Indian-origin doctoral student at Indiana’s Purdue University who was found dead in the woods at a nature preserve this week, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to authorities.

Sameer Kamath’s body was discovered around 5 pm on Monday at Crow’s Grove Nature Preserve, according to Warren County Coroner Justin Brummett.

Sameer Kamath (23), a US citizen, had completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Purdue in August 2023, and was pursuing further studies in the same department.

Justin Brummett, in a press release on Wednesday, said that a forensic autopsy was performed on Kamath on February 6 in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

“The preliminary cause of death is a “”gunshot wound of the head” and Kamath died by “suicide”,’ the press released said.

“Through extensive investigation by the Warren County Coroner’s Office in conjunction with multiple other local and federal agencies, we are now able to release a preliminary cause and manner of death,” the release said. A toxicology report is pending.

The coroner’s office said that prior to releasing this information, Kamath’s family was notified of the results.

This is an ongoing investigation with the Warren County Coroner’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Purdue University Administration and other supporting agencies, it said.

ATTACK ON INDIAN STUDENTS IN THE US

Sameer Kamath’s death is the latest in a string of incidents among students of Indian-origin and from India in the US.

Only last week, B. Shreyas Reddy, an Indian-origin student, was found dead in Ohio. The Indian mission in New York acknowledged Reddy’s death, noting that there was no suspicion of foul play at that stage.

Another Indian student, Syed Mazahir Ali, hailing from Hyderabad and pursuing Masters in information technology, was chased and brutally attacked by three unidentified men in Chicago.

Similarly, last month, another Purdue student, 19-year-old Neel Acharya, who had been reported missing, was found dead on the Purdue University West Lafayette campus.

In a separate incident earlier this year, Vivek Saini, a 25-year-old Indian man studying for his master’s degree in Georgia, was fatally attacked by a homeless person inside the store where he worked. The assault, in which the man hit Saini 50 times with a hammer, was captured on video.

(Inputs from PTI)