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Police investigations into the mysterious death of Nayyar Pervez, son of noted Muslim scholar Syed Shahbuddin, have been inconclusive so far. Going by the wounds on Pervez's face, however, close relatives alleged that it was an apparent case of murder.
Pervez's body was taken to New Delhi Saturday evening for burial and it is expected to reach there on Sunday. He was found dead on Thursday in a motel room in the vicinity of his residence. Family members had earlier contacted the police, when he failed to return to his home in upstate New York.
His family members in New York were desperately trying to gather more details about his mysterious death. He had last called his wife on Wednesday evening and was found dead in the hotel room a day later.
On Saturday, his colleagues, students and friends paid tribute to him during a service held at the Dar-ul-Islah Mosque in New Jersey.
The 44-year-old Pervez was a professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at the prestigious Columbia University in New York and had also been guiding students working for doctorates. He had joined Columbia in 1995.
The University plans to hold a separate memorial service for him later. In a statement announcing his death, the University described him a 'dedicated' teacher and an 'accomplished researcher'.
The only son of Shahabuddin, he had been in the United States for some years. He was married and has two children. Syed Shahabuddin, a former Janata Dal MP, is the president of All India Muslim Majlis-Mushawarrat.