Indian dancer Amarnath killed in US: TV actor shares news, fundraiser launched for funeral

A fundraiser has been initiated to gather funds for the funeral of Amarnath Ghosh, a professional Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer from Kolkata, who was fatally shot in Mississippi, USA.

His passing adds to a string of deaths of Indians and individuals of Indian descent in the US. Since the start of this year, more than seven cases of such deaths have been reported. “The loss of Amarnath has left us all devastated, and his absence is deeply felt within our Kuchipudi group. In light of this, we are reaching out to our community for support. Amarnath was a dedicated student of the renowned Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam Garu. He was pursuing his Master’s at Washington University in St. Louis while serving as faculty at the Kuchipudi Art Academy, where he shared his passion and expertise, enriching our lives with his talent and dedication,” the GoFundMe page set up for him stated.

The news of his demise in the US gained national attention after actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee shared it on the social media platform X. Devoleena, a friend of Amarnath, urged the Indian government to ensure strict action against the perpetrators. “At least we should know the reason behind his murder,” she wrote.

“My friend Amarnath Ghosh was shot and killed in the St Louis Academy neighborhood, US on Tuesday evening. Only child in the family, (his) mother died 3 years back. Father passed away during his childhood,” she further added.

She also mentioned that some of her friends in the US are trying to claim the body. St. Louis police officials found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds around 7 pm Tuesday near Delmar Boulevard and Clarendon Avenue. He died at the scene, and police have not released his name.

Amarnath Ghosh was pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in dance at Washington University in Saint Louis. His research focused on the works of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, according to his profile on the Washington University’s website.