Days after it was reported that an engineering student from Telangana went missing in Cleveland, USA, the Consulate General of India in New York stated on Thursday that they were in contact with the law enforcement agencies and efforts were under way to find him.
Mohammed Abdul Arfath, 25, who went missing, was pursuing Masters in Cleveland State University. He had moved to the USA in May 2023, his family said.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Consulate General stated, “@IndiainNewYork is in touch with Mohammad Abdul Arfath’s family and authorities in the US. We are working with local law enforcement agencies to find him at the earliest.”
Mr. Arfath’s father, Mohammed Saleem, a centring worker at construction sites, said that he received a message on his phone demanding a ransom for his son’s release. Mr. Saleem also said that he was told that a detective was investigating the case.
Mr. Arfath last spoke to his father for a brief while on March 7, according to his family. A day later, he spoke to his friends. Mr. Saleem told The Hindu that his son had expressed his willingness to return to India.
No update
In a separate case, Majlis Bachao Tahreek spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who has been helping expatriates and NRIs in distress, said that there has been no update from the Indian mission in Saudi Arabia in connection with the case of a man who went to perform Umrah (a pilgrimage) to Mecca, went missing nearly seven months ago, and died. The victim has been identified as Shaik Ahmed, a resident of Jahanuma.
According to his family, Mr. Ahmed was working in Saudi Arabia for about four decades. His iqaama (work visa) was not renewed after which he went to perform the Umrah. He spoke to his family for the last time on August 9, 2023.
In a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs, his wife Rasheeda Unnisa said that one of Mr. Ahmed’s friends had informed her that he had passed away. Ms. Rasheeda sought the MEA’s intervention to bring back his body.
