A 25-year-old student from Hyderabad, who moved to the US in 2023 for a Master's at Cleveland State University, has been found dead, the Indian consulate in New York said today. Mohammed Abdul Arfath had been missing for nearly three weeks, and the consulate had earlier said that it was in touch with Abdul's family and was working with local law enforcement agencies to locate him. This morning, the embassy said he was found dead.
"Anguished to learn that Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Our deepest condolences to Mr Mohammed Arfath's family," the consulate said in a post on X.
"@IndiainNewYork is in touch with local agencies to ensure thorough investigation into Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath's death. We are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family to transport his mortal remains to India," it added.
Arfath's father Mohammed Saleem said they last spoke on March 7 and then his cellphone was switched off. On March 19, Mr Saleem received a call from an unidentified person, who said Arfath had been kidnapped by a gang selling drugs and demanded $1,200.
"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. When I asked the caller to let us talk to my son, he refused," Mr Saleem told news agency PTI.
Several Indian and Indian-origin students have died in the US this year. The back-to-back deaths have left Indian students in the US and their families in India shocked and worried. Of the students who have died, 25-year-old Vivek Saini was hammered to death by a homeless drug addict and 27-year-old Venkataramana Pittala died in a watercraft accident. The cause of death of several students is yet to be confirmed.
The US is a favoured destination for Indian students looking to pursue higher education. According to the US, over 2.6 lakh Indian students migrated to the country in the 2022-2023 session. This was a 35 per cent jump from the previous session.
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