15 Indian-Australians who met with a tragic end in 2016

2016 saw many Indian-origin people in Australia who met with their tragic ends. Be it Manmeet Alisher and the Mathew sisters in Queensland or Supreet Kaur and Ekam Singh who died due to alleged negligence by the hospital, 2016 turned out to be tragic for many Indian families in Australia.

Indians who died in Australia Source: SBS

2016 saw many Indian-origin people in Australia who met with their tragic ends. Be it Manmeet Alisher and the Mathew sisters in Queensland or Supreet Kaur and Ekam Singh who died due to alleged negligence by the hospital, 2016 turned out to be tragic for many Indian families in Australia.

Here are the 15 Indian Australians who met with their tragic end in 2016.

Manmeet Alisher, Brisbane

Manmeet Alisher Source: Getty Image

29-year-old Manmeet Alisher worked as a bus driver in Brisbane and was doused in a flammable liquid and set on fire allegedly by a 48-year-old man identified as Anthony O'Donohue.

He died on spot. Manmeet was a prominent member of the migrant Indian community in Brisbane and was popular as a singer within the Punjabi community in Australia.

Rupen Datta, Anamika Datta and their three children – Neetika, Pipasa and Digvijaya

Rupen Datta (right) and his wife Anamika Source: Facebook

The Datta family who ran a popular Indian restaurant in Adelaide was on a vacation in India when the family’s car met with a horrific crash near Agra in January 2016.

Anamika Datta along with her children – Neetika, Pipasa and Digvijaya died within hours after the crash. Rupen Datta, who spent days in hospital never recovered and breathed his last two weeks after the accident.

Supraja Srinivas and her 4-month-old son, Melbourne

Source: Deccan Chronicle

31-year-old Supraja Srinivas lived with her husband and two kids in Melbourne CBD. She fell with her 4-month-old son from the 6th floor of an apartment in Melbourne CBD in July 2016.

Their bodies were found in the courtyard of their multi-storied apartment complex and Victoria Police called it a murder-suicide case.

Supreet Kaur, Perth

Source: Supplied

27-year-old Supreet Kaur was visiting her parents in Perth from Queensland, when she complained of severe headaches and painful, discoloured fingers and feet on October 17th this year. In a tragic turn of events, she died at Perth’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital ten days later on 27th October.

Her distraught family believe their beloved daughter’s death was a case of mishandling by staff. An investigation is underway in the case.

Anjumol and Asha Mathew, Queensland

Anjumol and Asha Source: Facebook

Two Indian sisters, Anjumol and Asha Mathew, lost their lives in a tragic car accident in May 2016.

The women, 23 and 18, died at the scene when their car collided with a truck.

Both were nursing students at University of Southern Queensland.

Ekam Singh, Adelaide

Ekam Singh Source: Facebook

Ekam Singh, a little boy, who was diagnosed with pneumonia at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide died in June 2016.

The heartbroken mother of Ekam claimed that this tragedy could have been averted if the staff at the hospital had heard her repeated demands for a chest x-ray.

An internal inquiry was set up following Ekam’s death.

Anudeep Varri, Melbourne

International student Anudeep Varri, who was pursuing his Masters Degree at Deakin University in Melbourne drowned at Lake Bellfield near Grampians National Park in Victoria in December 2016 while out on a picnic with his friends.

His friends told the police that their friend was marginally swimming outside the designated swimming area. 

“He got into trouble some distance from shore and couldn’t be dragged in by his friends,” the police said.

Seshagiri Medavarapu and Arvind Kumar Samala, Perth

In March 2016, five young Indian international students were returning to Perth after a weekend road-trip when their car had a head–on collision.

Two young men Seshagiri Medavarapu and Arvind Kumar Samala died at the scene. 

This list is indicative and not exhaustive.