A 25-year-old Indian student has been reported missing from the Cleveland area in the United States.
Arafat, hailing from Hyderabad, travelled to the US in May 2023 to pursue a master’s degree in IT at Cleveland University.
His family has had no contact with him since March 7. Following a “ransom call,” Arafat’s family reached out to the External Affairs Ministry seeking assistance in locating their son.
Mohd Saleem, Arafat’s father, said that ten days after Arafat went missing, they received a phone call. The caller informed them that their son had been kidnapped and demanded a $1200 ransom.
“My son went to the US on May 23 for his master’s. He was doing fine and was talking to me every day. After March 7, we didn’t talk. We tried calling, but the phone was off. Later, we called our brother and asked him to see. As my son was not at the location, they went and filed a missing complaint. After 10 days, we got a call on WhatsApp, that your son was kidnapped and asked for a $1200 ransom. I urge the state government and central government to find my son,” Saleem said.
Saleem has also written to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to direct the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and the Indian Consulate in Chicago to assist in locating his son.