DESK
Daughter hit by a tragedy post accident in the U.S. but father got stuck in ‘red tape’ as he failed to secure a visa to see her. And now after much running around, the visa will finally be issued. Shinde, a resident of Maharashtra’s Satara district, sustained severe injuries to her head, hand, and chest in the accident on February 14.
A tragic accident in California has left 35-year-old Indian student Neelam Shinde in a coma, sending her family in Maharashtra’s Satara district into a desperate battle to be by her side. Facing bureaucratic hurdles and medical urgency, her father has been struggling for over 10 days to secure an emergency US visa. Political leaders and government officials have intervened.
Shinde suffered life-threatening injuries to her head, hands, legs, and chest, requiring immediate surgical intervention. She remains in a coma.
Her family in Maharashtra’s Satara district only learned about the accident two days later, on February 16, through her roommates.
Since receiving the distressing news, Neelam’s family has been tirelessly working to secure an emergency US visa for her father to be at her bedside. “Our struggle to rush to be with Neelam has been going on for the last 10 days. After the help from various quarters, we received a phone call and email about an appointment for a visa at the US Consulate in Mumbai on Friday morning,” Neelam’s uncle Sanjay Kadam said
Government assistance sought as the family appealed to high-ranking officials, including Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol and NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule, who pressed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to intervene.
Supriya Sule posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Student Neelam Shinde has met with an accident in the USA and is hospitalized in a local hospital. Her father, Tanaji Shinde, from Satara, Maharashtra, India, urgently needs to visit his daughter due to a medical emergency. Tanaji Shinde has applied for an urgent visa to the USA and requires assistance. Requesting Hon. @DrSJaishankar Ji, @meaMADAD, and @IndianEmbassyUS to kindly look into the matter and help.”
In response, Indian authorities reached out to their US counterparts to facilitate an expedited visa for Neelam’s father.
After 10 days of uncertainty and bureaucratic hurdles, the family finally secured an emergency visa appointment at the US Consulate in Mumbai.
Given her father’s health issues, the family is considering sending her cousin, an IT professional with a valid passport, to accompany him to the US.
