California therapist charged with killing Indian student in Grenada

Grenada: A 22-year-old American was accused by the Grenada Police Force of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly killing an Indian student in Grenada.

Nihit Gurram, a behavioural therapist and resident of the state of California, was said to have caused the death of 22-year-old Siri Vaishnavi Mantena.

According to the reports, the incident took place on March 17 at the Grand Anse Hotel in St George, Grenada. The victim was found dead in the swimming pool of the hotel.

A day after the event, the Police confirmed that they were investigating the death of the young Indian woman after the hotel administration told them that preliminary reports indicated that the woman had "problems" in the pool.

Police further said that Siri Vaishnavi Manten was taken out of the pool, and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was performed to try to revive her, but it was unsuccessful.

In 2012, Grenada's Parliament amended Section 237 of its Penal Code to state that anyone who commits negligent manslaughter would be charged and sentenced to a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.

Gurram is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. The officials have not yet revealed the reason behind the link between the suspect and the victim and reported that they will disclose it after the court hearing.

Meanwhile, the incident is being criticised by citizens and residents in Grenada, and they are urging the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

"The police commissioner and his deputy need to resign. They put out this long statement about drowning, and now they are charging someone for manslaughter; too many missteps. Now, let's get it right. This whole damn place is in chaos," wrote a user named Deborah Bonaparte, while another user said, "This is most likely the supposedly drowning in Radisson pool, I bet! But we knew he killed her!"

A user named Risha said, "Look at the guy's profession, a behavioural therapist. This I can't understand. May her soul rest in peace."