Indian dancer killed in US; consulate takes up case after actor’s post

A Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer from Kolkata, Amarnath Ghosh, has been shot dead in the US, it has been known through an X post made by his friend and television actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee on Friday (March 1). The Consulate General of India in Chicago has now posted on X that it has “taken up the case strongly” with the police for investigation.

According to Bhattacharjee’s post, Ghosh was out on an evening walk in St Louis City, Missouri, when unknown assailants shot him multiple times and fled on Tuesday (February 27) evening. The actor has also sought the help of the Indian embassy in the US in claiming his body.

Details not known

Bhattacharjee added that the details of Ghosh’s murder — including motive or suspects — are not yet known. His parents are no more and there is “perhaps no one left in his family to fight for it except his few friends”, she added in the post. Ghosh reportedly has family members at Suri town in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.

“Some friends in US are trying to claim the body but still no update about it. Indian Embassy US kindly see to it if you could. At least we should know the reason of his murder,” reads Bhattacharjee’s post.

Indian consulate “providing support”

Ghosh, 34, a professional Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, was pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Dance at the Washington University in St Louis. He trained at the Kalakshetra Academy in Chennai and got a National Scholarship from the International Cultural Ministry.

The Consulate General of India in Chicago later posted on X that it was following up on the investigation with the police and providing support. “Consulate is extending all help to relatives of deceased Amarnath Ghosh. Taken up the case strongly with St Louis police and the University for investigation of the reprehensible gun attack,” the post added.

Surge in hate crimes

There has been a surge in hate crimes against Indian students in the US of late. There have been several student deaths due to other reasons too. The White House said in mid-February that US President Joe Biden and his administration were working very hard to thwart and disrupt attacks on Indian and Indian American students.

“There is no excuse for violence, certainly based on race or gender or religion or any other factor. That’s just unacceptable here in the United States,” John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters when asked about the series of attacks on students from India and also those from the Indian American community.

“The president and this administration have been working very, very hard to make sure we’re doing everything we can to work with state and local authorities to try to thwart and disrupt those kinds of attacks and make it clear to anybody who might consider them that they’ll be held properly accountable,” Kirby said.

(With agency inputs)