Indian student Nitheesha Kandula, 23, mysteriously goes missing in Los Angeles

Kandula, a Hyderabad student who was studying in the US, was reported missing on May 30 after being last seen in Los Angeles, John Guttierez, Chief of Police, CSUSB, said on social media. “#MissingPersonAlert: California State University, San Bernardino Police along with our partners in #LAPD, is asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of @CSUSBNews Nitheesha Kandula, to contact us at: (909) 537-5165,” he posted on X.

Kandula has been described as 5 feet 6 inches tall. She weighs around 160 pounds (72.5 kgs) and has black hair and black eyes, according to police. She may have been driving a 2021 Toyota Corolla with a California licence plate.

Police have urged people with information on Kandula’s whereabouts to come forward, saying, “Anyone with information is urged to contact the CSUSB Police Department at (909) 538-7777, or the LAPD’s Southwest Division at (213) 485-2582.” The circumstances around Kandula’s disappearance is unclear.

Other similar incidents

Just last month, Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, 26, went missing in Chicago. In April, 25-year-old Mohammed Abdul Arfath, who hailed from Hyderabad, was found dead in Cleveland after going missing in March.

Meanwhile, in December 2023, the FBI intensified efforts to locate 29-year-old Mayushi Bhagat, an Indian student who went missing in the US after leaving her New Jersey apartment on April 29, 2019. She was reported missing on May 1 of the same year. The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to Bhagat’s whereabouts.

“The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the location or recovery of the missing person, Mayushi Bhagat, and the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person(s) responsible,” the FBI’s website reads.