NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old Indian student, Mohammad Abdul Arfath, who had been missing for since last month, was found dead in the city of Cleveland, US.
This marks the second such incident in a week, adding to a series of distressing events within the Indian community abroad. Arfath, a native of Nacharam, Hyderabad, had traveled to the US in May last year to pursue a Master’s degree in IT at Cleveland University.
The Consulate General of India in New York expressed anguish and offered condolences to Arfath’s family while assuring active involvement in coordinating with local authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise.
“Anguished to learn that Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio,” the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X.
Arfath’s disappearance, marked by an eerie silence since his last contact with his family on March 7, had prompted a collaborative effort between Indian officials and US law enforcement agencies to locate him swiftly. Tragically, hopes were dashed as news of his demise surfaced, leaving his family in a state of profound grief.
The ordeal took a disturbing turn when Arfath’s father, Mohammed Saleem, recounted a harrowing phone call from an unidentified individual claiming Arfath had been abducted by a drug trafficking gang, demanding a ransom of $1,200 for his release. The caller’s threats of selling Arfath’s organs only compounded the family’s anguish.
“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,” Saleem told PTI in Hyderabad.
Saleem, alongside Arfath’s distraught parents, implored the Central government to intervene, urging swift action to secure their son’s safe return. Saleem has personally reached out to external affairs minister S Jaishankar, seeking assistance in navigating this distressing ordeal.
This tragic event casts a dark shadow over the safety and security of Indian students in the United States, resonating with the recent loss of Uma Satya Sai Gadde, another Indian student whose demise in Ohio remains under investigation.
As the Indian community mourns the loss of two promising lives, questions regarding the safety measures and support mechanisms for international students in the US loom large, demanding urgent attention and action from both Indian and American authorities.
(With inputs from agencies)
This marks the second such incident in a week, adding to a series of distressing events within the Indian community abroad. Arfath, a native of Nacharam, Hyderabad, had traveled to the US in May last year to pursue a Master’s degree in IT at Cleveland University.
The Consulate General of India in New York expressed anguish and offered condolences to Arfath’s family while assuring active involvement in coordinating with local authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise.
“Anguished to learn that Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio,” the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X.
Arfath’s disappearance, marked by an eerie silence since his last contact with his family on March 7, had prompted a collaborative effort between Indian officials and US law enforcement agencies to locate him swiftly. Tragically, hopes were dashed as news of his demise surfaced, leaving his family in a state of profound grief.
The ordeal took a disturbing turn when Arfath’s father, Mohammed Saleem, recounted a harrowing phone call from an unidentified individual claiming Arfath had been abducted by a drug trafficking gang, demanding a ransom of $1,200 for his release. The caller’s threats of selling Arfath’s organs only compounded the family’s anguish.
“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,” Saleem told PTI in Hyderabad.
Saleem, alongside Arfath’s distraught parents, implored the Central government to intervene, urging swift action to secure their son’s safe return. Saleem has personally reached out to external affairs minister S Jaishankar, seeking assistance in navigating this distressing ordeal.
This tragic event casts a dark shadow over the safety and security of Indian students in the United States, resonating with the recent loss of Uma Satya Sai Gadde, another Indian student whose demise in Ohio remains under investigation.
As the Indian community mourns the loss of two promising lives, questions regarding the safety measures and support mechanisms for international students in the US loom large, demanding urgent attention and action from both Indian and American authorities.
(With inputs from agencies)