Missing Indian Student In US Found Dead, Consulate Confirms

New Delhi: Indian student Mohammed Abdul Arfath who had been missing in the US for nearly three weeks, has been found dead, the Indian consulate in New York said on Tuesday. The 25-year-old from Hyderabad had moved to the US in 2023 for a Master’s at Cleveland State University. 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. On Tuesday 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 embassy 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, 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,” Saleem told news agency PTI.