Mohammad Abdul Arfath a 25-year-old student from Hyderabad, who moved to the US in 2023 was found dead, at the Indian consulate in New York. He was missing for nearly three weeks. He was pursuing a Master's degree in Information Technology (IT) at Cleveland University.
According to the deceased father, Mohammed Saleem informed that he had lost contact with his son since March 7 and his phone was switched off as well.
However, after contacting the consulate, they said that they were in touch with Abdul's family and were working with local law enforcement agencies to locate him. The sad news surpassed this morning by the embassy, that the youth was found dead.
The embassy is in touch with local agencies to ensure a thorough investigation into Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath's death. All possible assistance is provided to the deceased family to transport his mortal remains to India.
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.
Several Indian and Indian-origin students have died in the US this year. The continued deaths of Indian students in the US have left their families in India worried and tense situation. One of the students died, who was hammered to death by a homeless drug addict and another student died in a watercraft accident. The cause of death of many students is not yet confirmed.
Indian students look forward to pursuing higher education in the US. According to the US, over 2.6 lakh Indian students migrated to the country in the 2022-2023 session.