Hyderabad youth shot dead in Texas, family devastated as dreams cut short

A tragic end to a young life far from home has left a family in grief and a community in shock. Pole Chandrashekar, 27, a Hyderabad native pursuing a Master’s degree in the United States, was shot dead on October 3 night while working at a fuel station in Denton, Texas. The family received the heartbreaking news on October 4 afternoon.

Chandrashekar, who held an F1 visa, had completed his Master’s in Dental Surgery in the US and was seeking full-time employment while working part-time at the gas station. “Our father passed away four years ago. Our mother is heartbroken that she has now lost my brother,” said his brother Damodar.

A family friend, Shivakumar, revealed that the body was identified with the help of Chandrashekar’s passport, which was held by the gas station manager. “When the authorities from the US called, the family went into shock. We hope the Ministry of External Affairs will assist in bringing his body home,” he said.

The family is also demanding clarity on the circumstances surrounding the shooting. “We hardly know anything about what transpired. We hope the authorities will tell us why he was shot in the first place,” Shivakumar added.

Chandrashekar had previously earned his Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery from Hyderabad before moving to the US. T Harish Rao, Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader, described him as “a brilliant Dalit student with big dreams who tragically lost his life abroad. His parents are heartbroken; this is an unimaginable tragedy.”

LB Nagar BRS MLA Sudhir Reddy and Rao visited the family to offer condolences and appealed to the state government for urgent action to repatriate the body. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed his grief, stating, “The death of Chandrashekar has caused deep shock. We will provide all possible assistance to bring his body back to Hyderabad.”