The killing of an Indian American family in Ohio state has stoked fears within the diaspora community who are now calling for an urgent need to tackle mental health.
On January 18, Anish Rajan Rajaram was found dead alongside his mother and father in his Dublin home.
The police reached their house around 2 am after a friend of theirs reported that he had not heard from them.
During the initial investigation, it was found that they died by firearm and have been deceased for several days. Officers did not observe signs of forced entry to the home. The Dublin Police suspect that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. Police have been working to notify the next of kin before identifying the victims.
The incident sent a shock wave amongst the community as this was the third disturbing occurrence reported from the Indian American in a month.
Earlier this month, an Indian man named Param Sharma was arrested in San Francisco for endangering his wife and kids as he drove his car off a cliff.
In the second week of January, a Houston man named Subramaniam Ponnazhakan stabbed his 9-year-old only son.
Rajni Mehra, an Ohio resident who was informed of the family’s death through a WhatsApp forward, said she was shocked by the incident.
“This happened in my city. Dublin is a small, peaceful city. It shakes you to know that people may be fighting personal battles,” she told American Bazaar outlet.
Another resident, Rachna Bhasin, said there was an urgent to address mental health among the Indian American community, and demanded a counselling service for the community.
“We are all immigrants and truth be told we all feel lonely at a certain level. Lack of any trustworthy sources to seek help in case of depression and little or no emphasis on mental well-being can have negative impacts.”
(With inputs from agencies)
