Indian student’s American dream shattered in Texas shooting — young doctor killed while working night shift, suspect in custody
By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Fort Worth (Texas):
Another dream drowned in blood, another mother’s son silenced forever in a foreign land. A young Indian doctor, Chandrashekar Pole, who came to the United States in pursuit of higher education and a brighter future, was shot dead on Friday night while working at a gas station in Fort Worth.
The tragic incident occurred at the Fort Worth Express Gas Station on Eastchase Parkway, when an armed assailant opened fire during a reported robbery. According to police, the suspect, identified as an African-American man was later taken into custody.
Pole, a student at the University of North Texas, hailed from Hyderabad, India. He had moved to the US in 2023 after completing his Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery and had recently earned his Master’s degree. While actively seeking a full-time job in his field, he worked part-time at the gas station unaware that death awaited him in the land where he had come to heal others’ smiles.
Sources revealed that Chandrashekar belonged to India’s Dalit community, a lower caste that has long faced discrimination. He was described as intelligent, humble, and hardworking a young man who had overcome poverty and barriers to make a name for himself through education. Yet fate cruelly ended his journey just as it was beginning to shine.
The South Asian and Indian communities in Texas have been left devastated by the incident. Tributes and condolences have poured in across social media, while in his hometown of LB Nagar in Telangana, India, grief and disbelief hang heavy in the air.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy called the killing “a deeply shocking tragedy” and expressed solidarity with the victim’s family:
“The death of Chandrashekar Pole has caused immense sorrow among the people of Telangana. We stand with his family and will provide every possible support to ensure his remains are brought back home with dignity.”
BRS leader Harish Rao also expressed anguish, saying:
“It is heartbreaking that a Dalit student, who worked tirelessly to build a better future through his talent and determination, is now just a memory for his parents. Their pain cannot be described in words.”
According to Indian media, the Telangana government has initiated diplomatic efforts to expedite the repatriation of Chandrashekar’s body to India.
This tragedy follows a worrying pattern — in recent months, several Indian-origin individuals have fallen victim to violent crimes in the United States. Just months ago, Mohammed Nizamuddin, another Telangana native, was fatally shot by police in California.
Chandrashekar Pole’s story is not merely the tale of one young man’s death, it is a reflection of the countless dreams carried across oceans for a better life, only to vanish in the echo of gunfire.
