NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
UPDATE: Indian student’s family granted emergency visa, set to travel to US | NRI Pulse
Sacramento, CA, February 27, 2025: Neelam Shinde, a 35-year-old postgraduate student at California State University in Sacramento, is in a coma after a severe accident in California on February 14, 2025. A resident of Maharashtra’s Satara district, Neelam has been in the U.S. for the past four years pursuing her Master of Science degree.
The circumstances of the accident remain unclear, with conflicting reports suggesting she was either a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, riding a bicycle, or involved in a car collision. The accident left her with critical injuries to her head, chest, and limbs. She was rushed to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where she underwent emergency brain surgery but remains unconscious.
Neelam’s family in India was informed two days after the accident. Her father, Tanaji Shinde, has been striving to obtain an emergency visa to visit her. Facing initial challenges in securing a visa appointment, he sought help from Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule, who appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for intervention.
In response, the MEA coordinated with U.S. authorities, and the U.S. Embassy in Mumbai has scheduled an interview for Mr. Shinde on February 28, 2025. The family is now awaiting further developments as they seek to be by Neelam’s side during this critical time.
