Tragic Passing of Akul Dhawan
In a devastating incident last month, Akul Dhawan, an Indian-American student enrolled at Illinois University, lost his life after being exposed to freezing temperatures near a club that had denied him entry during a night out with friends.
Family’s Concerns and Formal Complaint
Following this heartbreaking event, the 18-year-old’s parents lodged a formal complaint with the University of Illinois Police, raising concerns about the search efforts and procedures followed during the investigation.
Discovery and Cause of Death
Dhawan was reported missing on January 20th and was found nearly 10 hours later, lifeless on the back porch of a building near the university campus in west Urbana, Illinois. The Champaign County Coroner’s Office concluded that hypothermia, worsened by acute alcohol intoxication and prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, led to Dhawan’s tragic demise.
Allegations of Negligence
His parents allege that the university police failed to conduct a thorough search near the Busey-Evans Residence Hall, accusing them of neglecting their responsibilities.
Weather Conditions and Tragic Trend
During late January, severe cold and freezing conditions gripped Illinois and many parts of the Midwest, with wind chills plummeting as low as -20 to -30 degrees. Dhawan’s untimely death adds to a troubling trend, with several young men of Indian and Indian-American origin meeting tragic ends across the United States this year.
ALSO READ : Tragic: Indian-Origin Student Shreyas Reddy Found Dead In US, Marking 4th Case This Year”
Official Response and Reassurances
White House official John Kirby condemned such incidents, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating violence based on race or any other factor. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti assured the Indian community of the Biden-led administration’s dedication to ensuring their safety while pursuing higher education in the United States.
KNOW MORE ABOUT : University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Parents’ Pursuit of Accountability
Dhawan’s parents’ complaint against the University of Illinois Police reflects their belief that negligence contributed to their son’s passing. They express disappointment over the lack of timely communication from the university, only learning of their son’s fate after reaching out to the police.
Who was Akul Dhawan?
Dhawan graduated from Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California in 2023, where he earned his High School Diploma. He then attended the College of San Mateo from June 2019 to August 2023, studying Computer Science with a focus on Java programming and principles of microeconomics. Currently, Dhawan was enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with an expected graduation date in May 2027.
Akul Dhawan’s parents open letter
“Our precious child, Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old first-year student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was found dead on the morning of January 20th with signs of hypothermia Our son died in freezing conditions while at school on campus. No parent should ever experience their child passing away on campus with no one to help him. It was Akul’s first year at UIUC,” his parents said in the open letter. We were so proud of our son for completing his semester and thriving at the university. He was a very smart kid who had his whole life before him.
As a parent, I never thought I’d receive such news. We are completely devastated. We were never notified by the university that there was any problem. On Saturday morning, we received a call that our son was missing. We immediately called the university police for more information. The police transferred our call to the coroner’s office. That’s how we were informed that our son had passed away. The police let us know that on Saturday, morning, we received a call that our son was missing. We immediately called the university police for more information. The police transferred our call to the coroner’s office. That’s how we were informed that our son had passed away. The police let us know that on Saturday January 20th, 2024, one of Akul Dhawan’s friends reported him missing at 1:23 a.m. They had 10 hours to look for him. However, it was not the police that found Akul,” his parents said. “He was found dead at 11:08 a.m., in the 1200 block of West Nevada Street, when a UI employee discovered him on the back porch of a building, less than half a block away from his last known location. We believe that the police never searched for our son. The locations where he was reported missing and where he was found are less than 200 feet apart. 200 feet! University police did not follow their missing search protocols. Akul was found less than 200 feet from the Busey-Evans Residence Halls. As parents, we need answers. We strongly believe the UI police were negligent and did not follow the search protocols,” they added.