Indian student from Hyderabad goes missing in US, family reaches out to MEA after ransom call

Amid concerns over mysterious deaths of Indian students in the United States, another 25-year-old man from Malkajgiri district in Telangana has gone missing since 7 March.

Last week, the parents of Mohammed Abdul Arfath claimed to have received a ransom call demanding nearly a lakh and threatening to sell their son's kidney if they didn't receive the amount. However, the caller didn't confirm the mode of payment.

Arfath, who was living in Ohio, left his home last year in May to pursue a Master’s degree in information technology at Cleveland University.

Mohammed Abdul Arfath's family seeks Jaishankar's assistance

Majlis Bachao Tahreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan brought the issue of the Hyderabad student to light. In a post on X, he shared the copies of Arfath’s passport and a letter that his family sent to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.

In the letter, his father Mohammed Saleem urged the EAM to ask the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and Indian Consulate in Chicago about the whereabouts of his son.

According to reports, Arfath's relatives in the United States have filed a missing person report with Cleveland police.

Also Read: List of Indian students found dead in US under mysterious circumstances recently

US cops dismiss foul play in Abhijeet Paruchuru's death

This incident comes days after police recovered the body of an Indian student dumped in a vehicle deep inside a wooded area. Abhijeet Paruchuru, a 20-year-old from Andhra Pradesh, was studying engineering at Boston University. Last Friday, his remains landed at his home in Guntur.

On Monday, the Indian Consulate in New York confirmed Paruchuru's death, claiming that the preliminary investigation by US police had ruled out any foul play.

Abhijit's death came amid an increase in violent attacks on Indian students in the United States.

In another tragic incident, Amarnath Ghosh, a Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer from Birbhum, West Bengal, died from gunshot wounds in the United States. On February 27, he was brought to the hospital after being shot several times.

Also Read: ‘Tragedies will happen’; US envoy Garcetti says ‘it's our responsibility' to make America safe place for Indian students

Several students of Indian origin, including Vivek Saini, Neel Acharya, Akul Dhawan, Shreyas Reddy and Sameer Kamath, were found dead under mysterious circumstances in the US.

Speaking with reporters in February, the White House asserted that President Joe Biden and his administration are working tirelessly to stop attacks against Indians students.