The year 2025 delivered a sobering reality check for the Indian dream of studying overseas. Behind the glossy brochures and visa triumphs, a series of tragic headlines emerged, each chipping away at the promised safe passage to a brighter future. Young Indians left for foreign classrooms and campuses, but did not return home. Their deaths, scattered across different countries and circumstances, were often shockingly ordinary, forcing a difficult but necessary conversation about what the pursuit of education abroad truly entails.
The Faces Behind the Headlines: Lives Cut Short
Shivank Avasthi (20), Toronto, Canada | December 2025
Shivank Avasthi was a committed doctoral student at the University of Toronto Scarborough, deep into a journey defined by research and persistence. In December 2025, he was shot and killed near the campus. His death sent shockwaves through Indian student communities in Canada, challenging the deeply held assumption that elite universities in developed nations are inherently safe havens. It was a stark reminder that campuses are part of the cities that host them, not insulated from their realities.
Ajit Singh Chaudhary (22), Ufa, Russia | November 2025
Ajit Singh Chaudhary was pursuing an MBBS at Bashkir State Medical University, one of many Indian students seeking medical education abroad due to fierce competition at home. In November 2025, he went missing after leaving his hostel. His body was later discovered near a dam in Ufa. His family's struggle for answers within an unfamiliar legal system highlighted a structural vulnerability faced by international students, where distance magnifies helplessness when tragedy strikes.
Vijay Kumar Sheoran (30), Worcester, England | November 2025
At 30, Vijay Kumar Sheoran was a mature student at UWE Bristol, balancing studies with the complex logistics of adult life abroad. In November 2025, he was stabbed during an altercation in Worcester. His death underscored a grey area of student life: while university grounds may be secure, student existence extends into streets, shared housing, and late-night commutes where institutional protection fades and everyday risks take over.
When Tragedy Strikes Without Warning
Vaishnav Krishnakumar (18), Dubai, UAE | October 2025
Vaishnav Krishnakumar had just begun his BBA in Marketing at Middlesex University Dubai, embracing the new freedoms of life away from home. During Diwali celebrations in October 2025, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and passed away. His case illustrated that even a natural death abroad layers an immense bureaucratic burden—involving hospitals, consulates, and cross-border formalities—on top of a family's profound grief.
Chandrashekar Pole (28), Texas, USA | October 2025
Chandrashekar Pole was a Master's student in Data Analytics at the University of North Texas. To support himself, he worked night shifts at a gas station. In October 2025, he was shot dead while on duty. His death exposed an ugly, often unspoken truth of the study-abroad experience: relentless financial pressure can push students into precarious work environments, directly compromising their safety.
Devesh Bapat (23), Found in Germany | March 2025
Devesh Bapat, a physics student at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, went missing in early March 2025. After weeks of searching, his body was found in Germany. With authorities stating no immediate signs of foul play, his family was left in a torturous limbo, caught between seeking closure and grappling with unanswered questions—a common ordeal when death occurs far from home.
The Unavoidable Lessons of 2025
Collectively, these stories are not an indictment of studying abroad. They are, however, a crucial reminder of the journey's full spectrum. Beyond aspiration and academic access lies exposure—financial, physical, and emotional. A university degree does not shield a student from violence, medical emergencies, or the pressures of making ends meet. Campuses are not isolated bubbles, and when things go wrong, geographical distance has a cruel way of multiplying grief and complicating resolution.
The promise of global education has not disappeared. But in 2025, it arrived with a clearer, harsher footnote—one that students, parents, and policymakers can no longer afford to ignore. It calls for better preparedness, honest conversations about risks, and stronger support systems that extend far beyond the campus gate.
