US Embassy Grants Visa To Family Of Comatose Indian Student Neelam Shinde

Responding swiftly, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) took up the matter with U.S. authorities on Thursday. Soon after, the U.S. Embassy in Mumbai contacted the family and scheduled a visa interview for them. On Friday, media reports confirmed that the embassy had granted the family an urgent visa, allowing them to travel to the U.S. without delay.

With the visa now approved, Shinde's family is expected to depart for the U.S. soon to be by her side during this critical time. Further updates on her medical condition and treatment are awaited.

Neelam Shinde, an Indian student from Maharashtra's Satara district, has been in a coma since February 14 after being hit by a four-wheeler in California. According to an NDTV report, she sustained multiple fractures and severe injuries to her head and chest. She is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital in the U.S.

Her father, Tanaji Shinde, had urgently sought a visa to visit his daughter, citing the medical emergency. The family's appeal gained significant attention after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule raised the issue on social media.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sule urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene. In her post, she stated, "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."

Following this, the MEA acted promptly, coordinating with U.S. authorities to facilitate the family's travel. With their visa now secured, Shinde's relatives are preparing to reach the U.S. as soon as possible.

More updates on her condition and ongoing medical care are awaited.