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Student freezes to death near University campus, parents demand answers
The case is investigated by the Champaign County Coroner's Office
Akul Dhawan / Image: LinkedIn
Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old student of electrical engineering at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) (UIUC), was found dead over the weekend with signs of hypothermia.
According to a report by the News Gazette, the boy's parents, Ish and Ritu Dhawan, have lodged a complaint against the university's police department for negligence.
Dhawan was reported missing on January 20, 2024, Saturday, by his friend, according to the police. The body was later found dead in the back porch of a building near the university campus in West Urbana, as per the report.
Further, the Illinois State Police and the Champaign County Coroner's Office have disclosed that the preliminary findings of an autopsy showed signs of hypothermia.
Dhawan's parents, residents of California, spoke to the News Gazette. Isha Dhawan was quoted saying, “This is bizarre, that a kid is never found who was just less than a block, like one minute away, sitting there, dead, frozen to death. Imagine as a dad and mom what’s going through in our mind. I visualize his every minute that my son froze to death on a university campus.”
“We really need answers. What is the proof that they totally searched in this area, around the area they are talking (about), this half-block? My kid would have been found," she added.
Meanwhile, Bruce Hajek, the university’s department head for Electrical and Computer Engineering, has expressed grief over Akul Dhawan's death.
The WCIA.com quoted Hajek's statement, "The loss of any student is immeasurably tragic. We in the ECE department offer our deepest condolences to Akul’s parents, family and friends. We were privileged to have him in our community and were looking forward to his unique contributions to the field. We will offer all the support we can to his classmates and friends."
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