Indian student Neelam Shinde's accident in the United States has drawn the attention of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which has now stepped in to assist, as per a report by the news agency ANI.
According to sources, the MEA has formally raised the matter with the relevant authorities in the US, who are currently reviewing the necessary procedures to expedite the visa process for Neelam's family, enabling them to travel to the US at the earliest.
Neelam hails from Maharashtra's Satara district. Her father, Tanaji Shinde, also appealed for an emergency visa to be by her side during the medical crisis.
Amid this, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule also raised the issue on social media and urged Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to intervene in the matter.
"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," she wrote on X.
Have a look at her post here:
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…
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) February 26, 2025
As per a report by NDTV, Neelam remains in a critical condition and is currently in a coma after being hit by a four-wheeler in California on February 14. She suffered severe head and chest injuries along with multiple fractures.
Her family, who last spoke to her on February 12, learned about the accident on February 16 and have been trying to secure a visa since then, but are still waiting.