Santa Clara: Telangana Engineer Shot Dead by Police; Bay Area Restaurants Plan Diwali Dinners
Telangana engineer shot dead by Santa Clara police; family seeks answers and repatriation
Mohammed Nizamuddin, a 30-year-old software engineer originally from Mahbubnagar, Telangana, was shot and killed by Santa Clara police on September 3 inside his California residence. According to a statement cited by US media, officers responding to the scene found Nizamuddin pinning down an injured roommate while holding a knife. Officers opened fire; he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office and the Santa Clara Police Department said they are conducting a joint investigation, with further updates to follow as the inquiry progresses.
Nizamuddin's family in Telangana did not learn of his death until September 18, when a friend in California contacted them. His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, said he did not know why his son had been shot. A relative told media that an argument between Nizamuddin and his roommate over an air conditioner had escalated before police arrived. The family questioned the speed of the shooting, noting that one occupant complied with officers and the other did not, and that four rounds were fired.
Before his death, Nizamuddin had posted on LinkedIn alleging racial hatred, discrimination, harassment, wage fraud, wrongful termination, and obstruction of justice. He had earned a Master's in Computer Science in Florida before relocating to California for a technology job. Majlis Bachao Tehreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan wrote to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar urging the Indian Embassy and the San Francisco Consulate General to take up the matter. The family has asked India's Ministry of External Affairs to assist in repatriating his body to Mahbubnagar. [5]
🎉 Bay Area restaurants bring Diwali celebrations to Santa Clara County diners
Three Bay Area restaurants are hosting Diwali celebration meals, with events extending into Santa Clara County. The dinners are organized by Srijith Gopinathan, executive chef at three Bay Area establishments, who told Patch that nostalgia for South Asian traditions and a desire to share those customs with a wider California dining public are driving the events.
"Many of us feel very nostalgic about these traditions because we grew up with them. We're excited to replicate our favorite dishes in a way that also celebrates the part of the world we now live in," Gopinathan said. "We're taking inspiration from our childhoods, and bringing that into conversation with what our diners are most excited about here in California."
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, falls between October and November each year and is closely associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. The events span San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and San Francisco. Among the participating venues is Ettan, a South Asian restaurant in Palo Alto, which is located within Santa Clara County. The restaurant featured Diwali decor as part of the commemoration. Gopinathan's approach brings together dishes rooted in South Asian culinary memory and personal heritage with ingredients and sensibilities that resonate with Bay Area diners, bridging childhood experience with California food culture for what he describes as a meaningful seasonal celebration. [3]