
Ritu Jha–
Neel Acharya, the Indian American Purdue University student who was found dead on campus earlier this week, did not have bodily injury, according to the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office. Police said that the case is under investigation, and that the toxicology report is awaited.
According to Carrie Costello of the Tippecanoe County Coroner‘s office in Indiana, Acharya, the 19-year-old student, is a United States citizen. She told indica via email, “He passed away on Jan 28th at 10:28 am. This time of death is the time he was found and reported to the police.”
Acharya was a double major student in computer science and data science at the John Martinson Honors College.
The forensic autopsy report, performed on January 29, said, “There was no trauma or significant injuries found during the autopsy. No foul play is suspected at this time.”
However, the reports on toxicology, cause of death and preliminary manner of death are pending. According to city officials, “This is an ongoing investigation with the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office and the Purdue University Police Department.
“Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family, and we hope they are respected during such a difficult time,” Costello stated.
Friends of Acharya’s family said they used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area before the parents moved back to India. “Our community is in shock,” a family friend said.
A friend of Neel’s father, who did not want to be named, told indica, “I used to work with his father in the San Francisco Bay Area before they moved to India. I remember attending his birthday when he was small,” he said.
In a Monday email written to the university’s computer science department, interim Computer Science head Chris Clifton informed students and faculty of Acharya’s death.
“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.”
Clifton called Acharya a “driven individual and academically talented.”
The death has shocked the Purdue student and alumni community. Aishwarya Ajay, a former Purdue student, wrote on LinkedIn:
“It’s truly heart-wrenching to wake up to the news about the passing of Neel Acharya – an Indian undergraduate junior at Purdue University, my alma mater. He was reported missing until yesterday, and the news hits too close to home. Neel was part of many communities at Purdue that I belonged to – the Indian community, the CS major group, and more. The loss feels personal, and as everyone processes this tragedy, I hope there will be more clarity on what transpired, causing the untimely departure of such a bright individual. My thoughts and prayers are with Neel’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”