Who Was Mohammed Nizamuddin, Telangana Techie Shot Dead By US Cops

Mohammed Nizamuddin, a 30-year-old man from Mahabubnagar district of Telangana, was allegedly shot dead by the police in California, United States, earlier this month. According to Nizamuddin's father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, the incident happened on September 3 after an altercation with his roommate.

The grieving father said he learned about his son's death through one of Nizamuddin's friends, though the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain unclear.

Who Was Mohammed Nizamuddin

According to information shared by his family, Nizamuddin had moved to the US in 2016 to pursue a Master's degree in Computer Science at a Florida college. After completing his MS, he joined a software company. He shifted to Santa Clara in California, after getting a promotion at the tech firm he was working for. 

Per his LinkedIn profile, Nizamuddin was working for Google via the IT consulting firm EPAM Systems. However, he was terminated from his job, per his own admission.

The family described him as a quiet and religious person, who even publicly raised complaints of racial harassment, wage fraud and wrongful termination from the job. 

LinkedIn Post In Focus

Before his death, Nizamuddin, in a LinkedIn post, had claimed he had been "a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage-fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of Justice."

"Today I decided to raise my voice against all odds. Enough is enough, white supremacy / racist white American mentality has to end. Oppression of corporate tyrants must end and everyone involved in it must be punished severely," he said.

He claimed he faced a lot of hostility, racial discrimination, and racial harassment at his workplace. He also claimed that his company committed salary fraud with him and paid him fairly, "not in accordance with DOL (Department of Labour) wage levels."

"They altogether wrongfully terminated my employment. It did not end there. They continued their harassment, discrimination and intimidating behavior by the help of a racist detective and team," he said.

What The US Police Said

In a statement, the Santa Clara police department (SCPD) said they received a 911 call around 6.08 am local time on September 3, about a stabbing inside a residence.

"The caller stated the suspect had stabbed one victim in the residence. SCPD officers arrived, encountered the suspect, and were involved in an officer-involved shooting. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The victim was transported to a local hospital and is being treated for injuries. The officer was not injured," the statement posted on the police department's website read.

According to Police Chief Cory Morgan, the altercation between the two roommates had turned violent before cops reached the spot, where they found the victim pinning down his roommate, who had sustained several injuries. 

"SCPD officers arrived, encountered the suspect, and were involved in an Officer-Involved Shooting. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. The victim was transported to a local hospital and is being treated for their injuries," Morgan stated.

He said from the initial investigation, it appeared the "officer's action stopped further harm and likely saved at least one life". Officers later recovered two knives from the scene.

Family's Allegation

A relative of Nizamuddin told news agency ANI that a neighbour had called the police after a quarrel between Nizamuddin and his roommate, which allegedly escalated over an air-conditioner. The situation turned violent, and knives were involved.

Nizamuddin's father claimed that he came to know his son had an altercation with his roommate on a "minor matter". He said he got the information about the incident on Thursday morning and has requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to help in bringing his son's body back to Mahabubnagar.

"I came to know he (Nizamuddin) was shot dead by Santa Clara Police, and his body is in some hospital in Santa Clara, California. I do not know the actual reasons why police shot him dead," Hasnuddin said in the letter addressed to Mr Jaishankar.

Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who shared the letter with the media, also urged the External Affairs Minister to help the family in the matter.