Who was the missing Indian university student found dead in Ohio, and what happened to him?

Mohammad Abdul Arfath, a 25-year-old from India pursuing a Master’s degree at Cleveland State University, was reported missing in March 2024 and found dead a month later. Arfath was the 11th Indian student or student of Indian origin to disappear in the U.S. so far this year, sparking international concern.

Arfath, from Nacharam, Hyderabad, studied IT at CSU and last spoke with his family on March 7th. After that time, Arfath’s phone was turned off, and his roommates, who last saw Arfath on March 5th, reported him missing and contacted his family, CNBCTV.com reported. As of this report, few details were available about the circumstances of Arfath’s disappearance, and his cause of death had not been announced.

When notified that Arfath was found dead, the Consulate General of India in New York wrote on X,

“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 Mohammed Abdul Arfath’s death. We are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family to transport his mortal remains to India.”

Consulate General of India/X

CSU said Arfath was no longer a registered student at the university as of January.

The Arfath family phone call

Days after Abdul Arfath disappeared, Arfath’s father in India received a phone call from someone claiming his son had been kidnapped by drug traffickers and demanding $1,200 ransom for his release. The unidentified caller also threatened to sell Arfath’s organs, the Hindustan Times reported.

Referring to the call, Arfath’s father, Mohammed Saleem said,

“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.”

via Business Standard

Arfath’s family then urged Indian officials to assist in the investigation into their son’s disappearance. When Arfath was found dead, a family member said in part, ” … We had been fasting and praying for his safe return; we still had hope he would be traced and rescued. Today, we received the shattering news.”

Reportedly, Arfath was the second Indian student or student of Indian origin found dead in Cleveland in about a week. Uma Satya Sai Gadde was also studying in Cleveland when he disappeared and was later found dead. Like Arfath, an exact cause of death had not yet been determined. Other Indian students or students of Indian origin found dead in the U.S. in 2024 alone were in Missouri, Indiana, and Washington State.