Santa Clara: Indian Software Engineer Shot Dead by Police, Family Demands Probe
A 30-year-old software engineer from Telangana was fatally shot at his Santa Clara home by police responding to a domestic dispute, with his family in India learning of his death more than two weeks after the fact through a friend in California. Community advocates have since written to India's External Affairs Minister urging the consulate to intervene on the family's behalf. Separately, a longtime Santa Clara resident is drawing attention for a paper model of Levi's Stadium that pairs his devotion to the 49ers with a Hindu deity's blessing for Super Bowl LX.
Family Seeks Probe and Government Help After Santa Clara Police Fatally Shoot Telangana Engineer
Mohammed Nizamuddin, a 30-year-old software engineer from Mahbubnagar, Telangana, was fatally shot by Santa Clara police on September 3 at his residence. Officers found Nizamuddin pinning down his injured roommate while holding a knife; they opened fire when he did not comply with commands, and he was pronounced dead in hospital. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and the police department launched a joint investigation they describe as active and ongoing.
The family in Telangana did not learn of his death until September 18 — more than two weeks later — through a friend in California. His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, speaking to PTI, said he had no idea why police had fired and requested help repatriating his son's remains to Mahbubnagar. A relative recounted to ANI that the dispute had reportedly started over an air conditioner, which escalated into violence, and raised concern that officers fired before any proper inquiry took place.
Before his death, Nizamuddin had alleged in a LinkedIn post that he had been a victim of racial hatred, discrimination, wage fraud, wrongful termination, and obstruction of justice. Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urging the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco to intervene, and the family has demanded a full independent investigation into the circumstances of his death. [5]
🪔 25-Year Santa Clara Resident Blends Hindu Deity Blessing with Paper Model of Levi's Stadium for Super Bowl LX
Mangesh Tamhankar, a devoted San Francisco 49ers fan who has lived in Santa Clara for the past 25 years, has created a detailed paper model of Levi's Stadium that incorporates a Hindu deity offering a blessing for Super Bowl LX. Tamhankar built the miniature replica in the hope that the 49ers organization will choose to display it inside the stadium itself.
The model is the latest in a cherished family tradition that spans a full quarter century. Each year, Tamhankar and his family select a theme tied to a significant worldwide event and work together to construct a paper model commemorating it, making the creative collaboration a consistent part of their Bay Area life. Super Bowl LX — hosted at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, steps from where they have made their home — provided this year's inspiration. Incorporating a Hindu deity into the design adds a devotional layer rooted in the tradition of invoking divine favor before major occasions, bringing a distinctly South Asian cultural dimension to what is also a declaration of local pride and community belonging.
The finished work weaves together Tamhankar's passion for Bay Area football, his family's long creative tradition, and the Hindu heritage they have sustained through 25 years in Santa Clara. [4]