Heartbreaking: Indian Student Dead After Months Of Coma In USA!

Indian students travel abroad for better employment opportunities and particularly so for the United States, where they expect better standard of life and studying prospects. But a few stories come to a premature end and this is a tale of great tragedy.

An Indian student named Neelam Tanaji Shinde, originally from Umbraj in Satara district, Maharashtra, passed away in the United States on March 28, 2026 after being in a coma for more than 14 months.

She was a final-year MS engineering student at California State University when she was hit by a speeding vehicle on February 14, 2025 while on a daily walk. The accident left her in critical condition and unresponsive.

Her father, Tanaji Shinde (69), who lives in Umbraj, struggled to reach the US in time due to visa delays.

Although he eventually secured a visa after political intervention and initially travelled to the US, his visa later expired and he had to return to India. Because of this, he missed seeing his daughter alive during her final moments.

Relatives in the US organised Neelam’s funeral at Mount Vernon Memorial Park, California, conducted according to Hindu rites, and with her father’s consent her skin and corneas were donated to help others after her death.

She had completed her BE in computer science in Pune and had also interned at NASA before pursuing her master’s. Her untimely passing is a great pain to the family members, and also the Indian community.