The tragic tale of Chandu Iraganaboina, young Indian man who died by suicide in the US

In a tragic incident, an Indian man has died allegedly by suicide in the United States. Chandu Iraganaboina, a 26-year-old from Andhra Pradesh, had gone abroad for higher studies.

However, he reportedly was under emotional stress after being unable to find a job recently. Members of the Indian community in the US have started a fundraiser to help bring back Chandu’s remains to India.

Here’s what we know.

Who was Chandu Iraganaboina?

Chandu Iraganaboina hailed from the Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. He graduated from CMR College of Engineering & Technology, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2020, as per his LinkedIn profile.

He worked as a Full-stack Developer at TatvaSoft. In 2022, Chandu travelled to the US to pursue a Master's degree in Computer Science from DePaul University in Chicago.

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After graduating last March, he joined Dell as a Full-stack Developer in June.

Chandu comes from a humble background, with his father reportedly working as a security guard.

What happened?

Chandu died allegedly by suicide at his home in the US on Thursday (April 30). It is suspected that he shot himself, as per a Times of India (TOI) report.

The Chicago Police shifted his mortal remains to a hospital. They are now investigating how he was able to acquire a firearm while on a non-immigrant visa.

It is being reported that Chandu was on the job hunt for several weeks, but could not find one.

Family and community members told NDTV that he was under immense emotional strain. He was upset about having to financially rely upon his family in Kurnool, particularly anxious about the hardships faced by his father.

As per TOI, Chandu’s family was also under financial strain as they had taken a loan to fund his studies in the US.

The police have recorded statements from his roommates and friends in the US.

His friends told the newspaper that Chandu had scheduled emails and messages to many acquaintances before his death. These have been shared with the police.

“They took our friend’s body and told us that we won’t be able to see him again. We are in shock and unable to understand what to do and what will happen next,” a friend was quoted as saying by TOI.

According to his roommates, Chandu was an introvert who hardly discussed his personal life. “Though we shared the room, we didn’t know much about him. He never discussed his family issues, but we understood he had been dealing with financial problems, which may have contributed to his situation,” one of them told the newspaper.

Family waits for Chandu’s mortal remains in India

Members of the Telugu community in the US have launched a fundraiser with the goal of $120,000 (Rs 1.14 crore) to help Chandu’s family bring his body home and to pay off his debt.

"The cost of international repatriation from the US to India-including funeral home services, legal permits, and transportation-is approximately $25,000. This is an expense his family simply cannot afford on their own," the fundraising page read.

Funds above $25,000 (about Rs 24 lakh) will be given to his parents to help manage the debt left behind by Chandu.

So far, $80,146 (Rs 76 lakh) has been raised on the fundraising page.

"Chandu arrived in Chicago with big dreams, filled with hope and the same ambition held by so many international students. He was a wonderful human being - generous, warm, and a pillar of support for his friends and his younger brother. Tragically, the weight of the challenges he faced became too much to bear. His dreams were cut short, and his family in India is now left shattered by this unimaginable loss," the about section on the fundraising page read.

A user on X tagged Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh to help bring back Chandu's body from the US.

Acknowledging the post, Lokesh expressed condolences and further requested Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to ensure "smooth and hassle-free transport of the mortal remains."

Naidu responded that he has spoken to the social media user and is "coordinating with the concerned people to expedite the process."

"We will do our best to support the family in these tough times," he added.

With inputs from agencies