Neel was remembered by his roommate and friend Aryan Khanolkar as a ‘loving, caring, charismatic soul.’ His contribution and presence in the community will surely be missed. The Indian diaspora and his peers at Purdue University stand together in this period of loss, remembering Neel as a driven individual who had much to offer.
The tragic news of Neel’s passing was followed by another harrowing incident of an Indian student named Vivek Saini, who was brutally murdered in Georgia. Vivek faced a violent attack by a homeless man, Julian Faulkner, wielding a hammer within the convenience store where he worked part-time. These horrifying events have caused a wave of mourning and concern among the Indian communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Around the same period, a similarly devastating incident occurred involving another Indian student, Akul Dhawan. Dhawan, an 18-year-old freshman studying electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, was also found dead. These incidents have cast a somber shadow over the Indian student community in the U.S., highlighting the vulnerabilities and challenges they face while studying abroad.
Responding to the situation, the Consulate General of India in Chicago communicated that they were in constant touch with both Purdue University and Neel’s family, extending every possible support. Sadly, the search ended in grief as the Tippecanoe County coroner confirmed that a deceased individual matching Neel’s description and belongings was discovered on Purdue’s campus.
Neel’s mother, Gouri Acharya, had reached out for assistance on social media about her missing son since January 28 at 12:30 AM local time. She disclosed that he was last seen by an Uber driver who dropped him off at the university. Her plea highlighted the family’s distress and urgent need for information.
The community at Purdue University in Indiana is mourning the loss of Neel Acharya, an Indian student and a dedicated double major in computer science and data science at the John Martinson Honors College. His absence was initially sensed on social media when he was reported missing on Sunday, which was met with a high degree of concern. The interim head of the Computer Science Department, Chris Clifton, confirmed the heart-wrenching news about Acharya’s death in an email, expressing deep condolences to those affected by this tragedy.