These deaths—clustering between May and December across California, Virginia, Texas, Maryland, and Arkansas—have sparked urgent conversations in Indian-American communities about the deadly intersection of genetic predisposition, crushing work culture, and the unique psychological burden of H-1B visa dependency.
Documented Deaths Paint a Devastating Picture
The most prominent case involves Pratik Pandey, a 35-year-old Microsoft engineer found face-down in the courtyard of the company's Mountain View campus at 2 AM on August 20, 2025. He had badged in at 7:50 PM the previous evening. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner confirmed a heart attack as the cause of death.
"He often worked long hours, sometimes through the night. We urge tech companies to stop pressuring employees to overwork themselves."
— Manoj Pandey, Pratik's uncle, speaking to reporters
| Name | Age | Date | Location | Circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Thurab Ali | 28 | May 17 | Washington, DC | Software engineer; was to marry June 15 |
| Vadlamudi Harikrishna | 49 | Late July | Virginia | Collapsed during boat trip with family |
| Pratik Pandey | 35 | Aug 20 | Mountain View, CA | Microsoft engineer; found at work campus at 2 AM |
| Sai Krishna Alluri | 37 | Sept 3 | Virginia | Died during evening walk; roommates called 911 |
| Karthik Arisetty | 36 | ~Nov 15 | Austin, TX | Apple contractor; left wife and 3-year-old daughter |
| Abhay Patnala | 32 | Nov 22 | Bentonville, AR | Died suddenly on Saturday morning |
| Rajesh Kavuri | — | Dec 9 | Baltimore, MD | STEM student under "immense stress" from unemployment |
Most victims were under 40, had no reported prior health conditions, and were predominantly from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Several were the sole breadwinners for their families, leaving dependents facing sudden financial hardship compounded by the complexities of visa-dependent employment.
Why South Asians Face Quadruple the Risk
South Asians develop heart disease a full decade earlier than Western populations and face mortality rates 40% higher than average. According to Dr. Ravi Dave, Director of UCLA's South Asian Heart Program, the risk factors often go unnoticed.
"South Asian Americans don't feel they're at elevated risk. They think, 'I don't have diabetes, I'm not overweight, I don't smoke.' But they forget there are other major factors."
— Dr. Ravi Dave, UCLA South Asian Heart Program
Stanford's SSATHI program found that South Asians have four times higher hospitalization rates for coronary artery disease than any other California ethnic group. The MASALA study documented how even South Asians with normal BMI accumulate dangerous visceral fat deposits in organs—invisible to standard screening tools.
- Genetic predisposition to smaller coronary arteries and elevated lipoprotein(a)
- Higher rates of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, even at normal weight
- Visceral fat accumulation in organs that standard BMI measurements miss
- Dietary factors: High-carbohydrate traditional foods combined with Western processed foods
- Standard screening tools consistently underestimate risk for this population
The H-1B Pressure Cooker
What distinguishes these 2025 deaths from broader South Asian cardiac risk is the specific context of immigrant tech workers. H-1B visa holders cannot simply quit toxic jobs—losing employment means losing legal status, with only 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the country.
Visa Dependency Trap
H-1B holders face a "psychological trap" where they feel compelled to overperform regardless of health costs. Only 60 days to find new employment if terminated.
Green Card Backlog
Over one million Indians currently waiting, with some facing decades-long queues. 40% of H-1B workers report anxiety tied to visa uncertainty.
Chronic Stress Impact
Research shows burnout increases coronary disease risk by 79%—stronger predictor than smoking, blood lipids, or physical activity.
Work Culture
Silicon Valley culture celebrates overwork. Pratik Pandey badged in at 7:50 PM and was found dead at 2 AM—working through the night.
The case of Rajesh Kavuri, the STEM student who died in December, illustrates this pressure explicitly: news reports described him as having been "under immense stress for 1.5 years due to unemployment amid tightened visa rules." Despite the stress, he "remained hopeful and kept working hard"—until his heart gave out.
"The fear of maintaining status, especially in H-1B holder families, is growing day by day."
— Netra Chavan, Manager of largest immigration-focused Facebook group
Media Coverage: From Tragedy to Systemic Critique
Regional Indian media—particularly Telugu-language outlets—have driven coverage, actively tracking deaths of community members abroad. The Pratik Pandey case became a viral moment, covered by Bloomberg, Yahoo, International Business Times, and tech publications.
On Reddit, discussions connect the deaths to broader H-1B worker experiences. One widely-shared post described being "Rich on Paper, Broken Inside"—an Indian tech worker with a top degree and stable salary reporting feeling "deeply unhappy" and unable to set boundaries.
Corporate & Institutional Response: Notable Silence
Despite the pattern of deaths, no major tech company has announced health initiatives specifically addressing cardiac risk among South Asian employees. Microsoft declined to comment publicly on Pandey's death.
- UCLA South Asian Heart Program — Opened early 2025, provides culturally-specific cardiac care
- Stanford SSATHI — South Asian Translational Heart Initiative with specialized screening
- UT Southwestern — South Asian Heart Program with targeted interventions
No agency collects data on cardiac deaths among Indian IT workers specifically, making it impossible to definitively determine whether 2025 represents a statistical increase or simply increased visibility due to social media amplification and community journalism.
What Experts Recommend
Medical consensus points to actionable interventions. Dr. Dave recommends South Asian Americans begin cardiovascular screening at age 18—far earlier than standard guidelines. Dr. Sandeep Krishnan of the American College of Cardiology urges physicians to screen all young South Asian patients for diabetes.
- Early Screening: Begin cardiovascular screening at age 18 for South Asians, not standard age guidelines
- Diabetes Screening: All young South Asian patients should be screened for diabetes and insulin resistance
- Work Culture Reform: Address burnout which increases coronary disease risk by 79%
- Mental Health Support: Destigmatize mental health care in South Asian communities
- Dietary Guidance: Culturally-specific nutrition counseling addressing carbohydrate-heavy diets
- H-1B Policy Reform: Address visa structures that create chronic health-damaging stress
Conclusion: A Preventable Crisis Awaiting Action
The 2025 deaths of young Indian tech workers reveal a convergence of biological vulnerability, occupational hazard, and immigration system dysfunction. South Asians face four times the cardiac risk of other populations, yet work in an industry that celebrates overwork while holding visa-dependent employees in a state of chronic precarity.
The victims—people like Pratik Pandey, who left behind a young son, or Karthik Arisetty, whose 3-year-old daughter lost her father—died not from unavoidable fate but from a cascade of modifiable risks. The interventions are known; the institutions capable of acting have not yet chosen to do so.