US embassy grants visa to family of Indian student injured in California accident

MUMBAI : The United States consulate here has granted visa to the family members of Indian student Neelam Shinde who suffered serious injuries in a road accident in California and is undergoing treatment, her relatives said on Friday. Shinde, who hails from Satara in Maharashtra and is studying in the United States, is still in a coma at a hospital in San Francisco, but her condition has slightly improved, her father said.

A day before, the Ministry of External Affairs had taken up with the US authorities the family's request for an urgent visa. Tanaji Shinde, Neelam's father, told PTI that they learnt from the doctors that her condition had improved. "I received a phone call from her roommate on February 16. However, she didn't tell me about the accident. Later, she informed Neelam's uncle about it. Neelam is still in a coma, but her condition has improved slightly," he said. "We went to the embassy today (in Mumbai). They interviewed us and granted visa within half an hour. We will leave for the US tomorrow. Both the Union and Maharashtra governments helped us a lot. The media also helped us," Shinde said. "My daughter is in a coma, we can't do much. I only hope she gets well soon," he added.

Yogesh Kadam, Neelam's uncle, told PTI that she met with the accident on February 14, but they learnt about it only two days later. Family members were in the process of booking flight tickets, and they will leave for the US as soon as possible, he said. They had a telephonic conversation with the doctors on Thursday evening, and were told that her condition was stable, Kadam said. US authorities have not asked them to make any payment yet, and the university where Neelam was studying was also helping to ensure that she received good treatment, he added. "Her roommates told us that local newspapers there carried news that the Nigerian national whose car hit her has been arrested," Kadam said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked the US authorities. "I want to thank the American consulate and the Consul General in Mumbai that they understood the situation and immediately issued the visa," he said in a statement. His office had made a request to the US consulate to issue visa to the family urgently, and the latter "went out of the way" to accede to the request, Fadnavis said. The spokesperson of the US consulate general told PTI that "expedited appointments" for visa are given in limited circumstances. Priority is given to those seeking emergency medical treatment for themselves or immediate family members and for humanitarian situations, he added.