A 25-year-old Indian student missing since last month was found dead in Cleveland, United States. The death of Mohammad Abdul Arfath, who hails from Hyderabad, is the second such incident within a week and the 11th in 2024.
Arfath’s death was confirmed by the Indian consulate in New York. “Anguished to learn that Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom a search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio,” the Consulate General of India in New York tweeted.
The consulate said it was in touch with local agencies in the US to ensure a thorough investigation into the death of the Cleveland University student.
“We are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family to transport his mortal remains to India,” the consulate further said.
Arfath had arrived in the US in May 2023 to pursue a Master’s degree in Information Technology from Cleveland University. The 25-year-old went missing around March 7. His father said he lost contact with Arfath since then and his phone was switched off as well.
On March 19, Arfath’s family received a ransom call and was told that he had been kidnapped by a gang selling drugs and demanded $1,200 for his release. The caller also threatened to sell the student’s kidneys if the ransom wasn’t paid, Arfath’s father said.
“I got a call from an unknown number, and the caller informed me that my son had been kidnapped and demanded money. The caller did not mention the mode of payment but just asked to pay the amount. When I asked the caller to allow us to talk to my son, he refused,” Arfath’s father told PTI.
On March 21, the Indian consulate had said it was coordinating with local law enforcement authorities to locate Arfath.
The student’s family had also written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, requesting him to locate and bring back Arfath to India.
This is the 11th such incident in the United States involving Indian or Indian-origin students. Last week, an Indian student in Ohio, Uma Satya Sai Gadde, died. The alarming rise in the number of attacks has caused concern among the Indian-American community.
