Mohammed Abdul Arfath left for the US last year to pursue his master’s degree
New Delhi:
A 25-year-old student from Hyderabad, who moved to the US in 2023 to pursue a master’s degree 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 previously said it was in contact with Abdul’s family and working with local law enforcement agencies to locate him. This morning the embassy said he was found dead.
Anguished to hear that Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom a search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio.
Our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Mohammed Arfath. @IndiainNewYork is in contact with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into Mr… https://t.co/FRRrR8ZXZ8
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) April 9, 2024
“I am saddened to learn that Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom a search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Our deepest condolences to the family of Mr Mohammed Arfath,” the consulate said in a message on
“@IndiainNewYork is in touch with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the death of Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath. We are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family to transport his remains to India,” it added.
Arfath’s father Mohammed Saleem said they last spoke on March 7 and his mobile phone was switched off. On March 19, Mr. Saleem received a call from an unknown person, who said Arfath had been kidnapped by a drug-selling gang and demanded $1,200.
“I received a call from an unknown number and the caller told me that my son had been kidnapped and demanded money. The caller did not mention the method of payment. When I asked the caller to let us talk to my son, he refused,” Mr Saleem told news agency PTI.
This year, several Indian and Indian-origin students have died in the US. The back-to-back deaths have left Indian students in the US and their families in India shocked and concerned. Of the eight students who died, 25-year-old Vivek Saini was beaten 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 has yet to be confirmed.
The US is a favorite destination for Indian students seeking higher education. According to the US, over 2.6 million Indian students migrated to the country during the 2022-2023 session. This was a jump of 35 percent from the previous session.
