Indian Student In Coma After US Accident, Parents Seek Urgent Visa

An Indian student has been in a coma after an accident in the US this month, with her family members in Maharashtra seeking the Centre’s help to get a visa to meet her. Neelam Shinde, 35, a resident of Maharashtra’s Satara district, was allegedly hit by a car on February 14 and is currently in the ICU. The police have arrested the car driver.

“We got to know about the accident on February 16 and have been trying for a visa since then. But we haven’t got it yet,” her father, Tanaji Shinde, said.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule spoke to NDTV and sought External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s help to get Ms Shinde’s father a visa.

“This is an alarming issue and we all need to get together and help resolve it,” she said.

“I’ve been engaged with the family and assuring them that this will be resolved,” Ms Sule said.

She also said she may have “political differences” with Mr Jaishankar, a BJP leader, but he is “very helpful and empathetic” whenever it comes to the issue of Indian students abroad.

“My experience with the MEA (the Ministry of External Affairs) has been extraordinarily very very good. They always go the extra mile to help” Ms Sule said, adding that she has also reached out to the US Embassy in Mumbai.

She also took to her official X account and tagged Mr Jaishankar while seeking help for Mr Shinde.

According to Ms Shinde’s family, the crash left her hands and legs fractured. She also sustained injuries on her head.

“The police admitted her to the hospital and her roommates informed us on February 16. They told us that she’s met with a huge accident,” her uncle, Sanjay Kadam, told NDTV.

“They (the hospital administration) took our permission to operate on her brain. She is in a coma right now and we need to be there,” he added.

Ms Shinde has been in the US for four years and is in her final year.