Missing Indian student found dead in Ohio, consulate in New York in touch with authorities

NEW YORK: An Indian student, who had been missing since March this year, has been found dead in the US state of Ohio, the Consulate General of India in New York said on Tuesday.

The consulate said it is “anguished” to learn about the death of Mohammed Abdul Arfath and is in touch with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into his death.

“Anguished to learn that Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was under way, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Our deepest condolences to Mr Mohammed Arfath’s family:, the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X, It said that all possible assistance is being extended to the bereaved family to transport his mortal remains to India.

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. @IndiainNewYork is in touch with local agencies to ensure thorough investigation into Mr… https://t.co/FRRrR8ZXZ8

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) April 9, 2024

Arafat, a native of Hyderabad, went to the US for his Master’s degree in IT from Cleveland University in May 2023 but was missing since March 7 this year. His father, Mohd Saleem, said that after ten days, they received a phone call from an unidentified person who claimed Arafat had been kidnapped and demanded for a $1,200 ransom for his release.

On March 21, the Consulate General of India in New York said they are in touch with Arfath’s family and authorities in the US to find him. “@IndiainNewYork is in touch with the Mr. Mohammad Abdul Arfath’s family and authorities in the US. We are working with local law enforcement agencies to find him at the earliest”, the Consulate General of India in New York posted on X.

It had made the statement on X in response to a post that mentioned that 25-year-old Hyderabad student had gone missing and his father received a call to pay a ransom of $1200.

Recently the Indian community has seen a rise of such tragedies. Last week Uma Satya Sai Gadde, an Indian student in Cleveland, Ohio, died and police investigation is under way.

In February, an Indian student faced a brutal attack in Chicago. Following the attack, the Indian consulate in Chicago stated that it was in touch with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, as well as his wife in India. (ANI)