Washington University, where Indian dancer Amarnath Ghosh was a student, has condemned his killing as “senseless violence beyond comprehension”.
The Bharatnatyam and Kuchupudi dancer from Kolkata was allegedly shot dead by an unknown assailant in St Louis, Missouri.
The incident was flagged by television actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee, who said in a post on X that her “friend” was “shot multiple times” by an unknown assailant on the evening of February 27.
Condemning the incident, Anna ‘Dr G’ Gonzalez, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at Washington University, said in a statement on Saturday that “there are no words to express the pain and anguish Amarnath’s family and friends are experiencing”.
“His death is a terrible shock to us all. This type of senseless violence is beyond comprehension, and we are devastated by this loss. To have this happen in our own St. Louis community is especially heartbreaking.”
The statement went on to say that “we do not have many details regarding the crime, as the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigation is ongoing”.
“We have been in communication with Amarnath’s close contacts to offer our support and assistance following this tragic event. We also want to make sure that any members of the WashU (Washington University) community reach out for support if needed.
“We mourn with Amarnath’s family and friends and send our heartfelt condolences to all who knew and loved him. We hope to share more about his life and the impact he had on so many in future university communication,” it added.
The statement came the same day after the Indian Consulate in Chicago announced that it had taken up Ghosh’s case “strongly” with the St Louis police and Washington University for “investigation of the reprehensible gun attack”.
On March 1, the Consulate had said it was “following up forensic, investigation with police & providing support”.
According to actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Ghosh was the only child and both his parents had died. He was pursuing his PhD in the US.
She said that attack took place while Ghosh was out on an evening walk.
