US Indian Student froze to death after being denied Entry to Club

It has been revealed that a US Indian student froze to death near a university building after being denied from a club.

Akul Dhawan, a first-year student at the University of Illinois, was reported missing on January 20, 2024, after he left a classmate’s accommodation and could not be reached by phone.

Less than 10 hours later, a university employee found the 18-year-old’s body on the steps of a university building.

The Champaign County Coroner’s Office have now concluded that Akul died due to hypothermia.

He had been out drinking with friends but at around 11: 30 pm, he and his friends went to the Canopy Club, a venue the group had already visited that night.

However, Akul was denied entry.

CCTV footage showed Akul trying to re-enter the club “multiple times, but was repeatedly denied by staff”.

Investigators said he also turned down two cabs called for him.

It was reported that temperatures dropped to -3°C that night.

After a concerned friend contacted campus police to search for him, an officer looked for the US Indian student by “driving at a walking pace” near the “likely path” he would have taken back to campus but did not see him.

Officers also made calls to people who knew Akul and to area hospitals.

However, his body was found “laying on concrete steps” behind a building and was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement, the coroner’s office said:

“An autopsy was performed on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, that confirmed the death of Mr Dhawan was due to hypothermia.

“Acute alcohol intoxication and prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures significantly contributed to his death.”

The location where Akul’s body was found is a four-minute walk from the Canopy Club.

Despite statements from officials, Akul’s family “believe that the police never searched for our son”.

In an open letter published in The News-Gazette, they said:

“We have been asking why Akul was found 10 hours later, rather than immediately after he was reported missing when he could still be saved.

“The locations where he was reported missing and where he was found are less than 200 feet apart. 200 feet!”

A campus police spokesperson said:

“The safety of all of our students and community members is of the highest priority.”

“When we are called to check the welfare of a student, officers and non-sworn staff respond as quickly as possible, and their actions are based on information offered either by the caller or discovered during the immediate response.

“The university community and police department are heartbroken as a result of this tragedy, though we certainly acknowledge that the depth of our grief cannot compare with that of the Dhawan family.

“Our thoughts remain with them.”

Akul’s family said it was his first week back at university following the winter break.

The letter said: “We were so proud of our son for completing his semester and thriving at the university.

“He was a very smart kid who had his whole life before him. We will never be the same.”