In a tragic turn of events, the Indian consulate in New York has confirmed the death of Mohammed Abdul Arfath, a 25-year-old student from Hyderabad. Arfath had relocated to the United States in 2023 to pursue a Master’s degree at Cleveland State University. After nearly three weeks of being reported missing, the consulate disclosed today that Arfath was found dead.
“Anguished to learn that Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom a search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio. Our deepest condolences to Mohammed Arfath’s family,” the consulate expressed in a post on social media platform X.
According to reports, Arfath had last been in contact with his family before his phone went unreachable on March 7. His father, Mohammed Saleem, revealed that on March 19, he received a distressing call from an unknown person claiming that Arfath had been kidnapped by a drug trafficking gang, demanding a ransom of $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,” recounted Saleem.
The series of deaths among Indian students in the US has caused shock and concern within both the Indian community abroad and their families back in India. Recent casualties include 25-year-old Vivek Saini, who was fatally attacked by a homeless drug addict, and 27-year-old Venkataramana Pittala, who died in a watercraft accident. The exact causes of death for several other students remain unconfirmed.
The United States has long been a sought-after destination for Indian students pursuing higher education, with over 2.6 lakh Indian students migrating to the country during the 2022-2023 academic session, marking a significant 35 per cent increase from the previous year. However, these tragic incidents have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of Indian students studying abroad.
Indian authorities, in coordination with local agencies, are ensuring a thorough investigation into Arfath’s death, while also providing support to facilitate the repatriation of his remains to Bharat.
