Indian student Nitheesha Kandula, 23, missing in Los Angeles, found safe after a week

Police confirmed Tuesday that Nitheesha Kandula, 23, who went missing in California last week, had been found safe. The Indian student, originally from Hyderabad, is a student at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). She reportedly disappeared on May 28.

John Guttierez, CSUSB Police Chief, posted an update on his search on social media Tuesday.

Without revealing more details, he assured his safety on X/Twitter: “The missing student identified in this bulletin and reported missing on May 28, 2024, in Los Angeles, has been located and is safe!”

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The missing person report says Kandual was reported missing from the Los Angeles Police Department's Southwest Division on May 30. Before her disappearance, she was reportedly last seen in Los Angeles, California on May 28, 2024. The document also states that Kandula was driving a Toyota Corolla registered in California.

More heartbreaking cases of Indian students missing in US

Nitheesha's disappearance was a wake-up call for the Indian community, with several similar or worse cases coming to light this year.

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Shortly after she was reported missing, police urged people with information about her whereabouts to come forward. Even after his discovery, the details of his disappearance remain unclear. “#MissingPersonAlert: California State University, San Bernardino Police and our partners at #LAPD, are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of @CSUSBNews Nitheesha Kandula to contact us at: (909 ) 537-5165,” Chief Guttierez wrote on X/Twitter.

While Kandula was fortunately found within a week, thanks to police ensuring her safety, other students were not so lucky.

In April, another Indian student from Hyderabad, Mohammed Abdul Arfath, 25, was found dead in Cleveland. Enrolled at Cleveland University, he had been missing since March. Additionally, Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, 26, has been missing in Chicago since May 2.