Father Misses Final Goodbye as Indian Student Dies in US

An Indian student, Nilam Shinde, pursuing final-year MS in engineering in California State University, who was left in a comatose condition after being hit by a speeding vehicle in Feb 2025, passed away on March 28. Sadly, her father, living in Umbraj of Satara district, Maharashtra, could not see her in the US for the last time.

Nilam’s maternal uncle Sanjay Kadam planned her funeral service on Tuesday at the Mount Vernon Memorial Park, California, as per Hindu rituals. Her skin and cornea were extracted for donation after her father agreed for it.

Shinde’s father, Tanaji, 69, lost his wife a year ago. On Feb. 14, two days after her first death anniversary, Nilam met with an accident when she was doing her daily walk. Soon she was rushed to Sacramento’s UC Davis Medical Centre where she slipped into coma.

On being informed, Tanaji struggled to get a visa but could not. The issue was taken to the notice of the Centre by MP Supriya Sule and Tanaji was issued his visa. Accompanied by Nilam’s cousin, Tanaji reached US.

After two months, his visa expired and Tanaji returned to Umbraj, near Karad in Satara district. He requested one of their relatives living in the US to take care of his daughter, and he visited her every weekend.

On March 28, the hospital administration conveyed that Nilam had passed away. She completed her BE in computer science from the Sinhgad Institute in Pune and also did one-year internship at NASA.