New York: A 25-year-old student from Hyderabad, studying in the US, has gone missing there since March 7 and his family in Hyderabad said they received a “ransom” call.
Mohammed Abdul, a resident of Hyderabad, went to the US in May 2023 to pursue a Masters in IT from Cleveland University and was staying in Cleveland, his family said.
Mohammed Saleem, Abdul’s father in India, said his son last spoke to him on March 7, and since then he was not in touch with his family and his mobile phone was switched off. Abdul’s roommates in the US informed him that they have lodged a missing complaint with Cleveland Police.
However, on March 19, Abdul’s family received a call from an unidentified person, who claimed that Abdul had been kidnapped allegedly by a gang selling drugs and demanded $1,200 to “release” him. The caller also threatened to sell Abdul’s kidneys if the ransom wasn’t paid, his father 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 but just asked to pay the amount. When I asked the caller to allow us to talk to my son, he refused,” Saleem said.
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In touch with authorities, says Indian consulate in NY
The Consulate General of India in New York is working with local law enforcement authorities to find a 25-year-old Indian student in Cleveland, who has been missing since the beginning of this month.
The Indian Consulate said in a post on X that it is in touch with Arfath’s family and the local authorities. “We are working with local law enforcement agencies to find him at the earliest,” it said.
