Mohammed Abdul Arfath went to the United States last year to study for a master’s degree
New Delhi:
A 25-year-old student from Hyderabad, who had moved to the US to pursue a master’s degree at Cleveland State University in 2023, was found dead, the Indian Consulate in New York said today. Mohamed Abdul Arafat has been missing for nearly three weeks, and the consulate earlier said it had contacted Abdul’s family and was working with local law enforcement agencies to find his whereabouts. This morning, the embassy said he was found dead.
We are saddened to learn that Mr. Mohamed Abdul Arafat was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio while a search and rescue operation was underway.
We express our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Mohammed Arafat. @IndiaNewYork Local agencies are being contacted to ensure a thorough investigation of Mr. https://t.co/FRRrR8ZXZ8
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) April 9, 2024
The embassy said in a post on Condolences.”
“@IndiainNewYork is in contact with local agencies to ensure a thorough investigation into the death of Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arafat. We are providing all possible assistance to the family of the deceased to transport his remains to India,” it added road.
Arfath’s father, Mohammed Saleem, said they last spoke on March 7 and then his phone went off. On March 19, Salim received a call from an unidentified person who said Arfath had been kidnapped by a drug gang and demanded $1,200.
“I received a call from an unknown number who told me that my son had been kidnapped and asked for money. The caller did not mention a method of payment. When I asked the caller to let us speak to my son, he refused. “,” Mr Salim told news agency PTI.
Abdul was the 11th Indian to die in the United States this year. Eight of them were students. The spate of deaths has shocked and worried Indian students in the United States and their families in India. Among the eight students who died, 25-year-old Vivek Saini was beaten to death by homeless drug addicts and 27-year-old Venkataramana Pittala died in a boat accident. The cause of death of many students has not yet been determined.
The United States is the preferred destination for Indian students seeking higher education. According to the United States, more than 260,000 Indian students will immigrate to the country during 2022-2023. This is a 35% increase from the previous trading day.
