Indian Purdue student Neel Acharya confirmed dead day after being reported missing
According to the report, a “college-aged” man was found dead near the Maurice J Zucrow Laboratories; he matched Neel’s description and had Neel’s ID on him
Purdue University student Neel Acharya, who was reported missing on social media on Sunday (January 28), has been confirmed dead, The Purdue Exponent, the student-run newspaper of the university, has reported.
It later emerged that about 10.30 am on Sunday, a “college-aged” man had been found dead near the Maurice J Zucrow Laboratories. Neel’s friends had reported on social media that his last known location was in that same area.
On Monday, Neel’s mother had posted an appeal on social media site X, seeking help in locating his son. According to Goury Acharya, Neel was last seen by the Uber driver who dropped him off in Purdue University.
Neel's death comes on the heels of the brutal murder of another Indian student in the US, Vivek Saini, who was allegedly hammered to death by a homeless drug addict he helped for days in Georgia state’s Lithonia city.
Cause not clear
Regarding Neel's death, Robert Wang, a research assistant at the lab, reportedly told the newspaper that the body had been found by a graduate student. The coroner has reportedly not yet confirmed whether it was indeed Neel who was found dead near Zucrow. It was not immediately clear how Neel had died.
However, interim CS head Chris Clifton told the newspaper that he had received an email from the Office of the Dean of Students confirming Neel’s death. “A deceased person was found that matched Neel’s description and had Neel’s ID on (him),” he was quoted as saying.
Varsity email
Clifton also wrote an email to the university’s computer science department on Monday, informing students and faculty of Neel’s death. According to the email, Neel was a double major in computer science and data science in the John Martinson Honors College.
“It is with great sadness that I inform you that one of our students, Neel Acharya, has passed away,” Clifton wrote. “My condolences go out to his friends, family, and all affected,” he was quoted by the newspaper as saying in the email.
Clifton reportedly referred to Neel as a “driven individual and academically talented”. “It’s a shock. A real loss to our community,” Clifton reportedly wrote of Neel.
Neel’s friend and roommate, Aryan Khanolkar, reportedly said he was a “loving, charismatic soul, and will be cherished by all of us.”
