Student from Hyderabad goes missing in US, family receives ransom call

Hyderabad, March 20 (IANS) A student from Hyderabad has gone missing in the US while his family here has received a ransom call.

Mohammed Abdul Arfath, 25, who was pursuing a master's degree in Information Technology at Cleveland University, Ohio, has not been in touch with the family since March 7.

His parents residing in Malkajgiri district near Hyderabad have received a call demanding a ransom of $12,000. The unidentified caller informed them their son had been kidnapped and threatened to sell his kidney.

Arfath went to the US in May 2023. His family claims he has not spoken to them since March 7.

His father, Mohammed Saleem, last week, received a phone call from an unknown person claiming that his son had been kidnapped by a gang selling drugs in Cleveland. The caller demanded the ransom but did not mention the mode of payment.

Saleem informed his relatives in the US, who filed a missing complaint with the Cleveland police, which issued a watch order. According to the order, Arfath was wearing a white T-shirt, a red jacket, and blue jeans.

The family also wrote to the Indian Consulate in Chicago on March 18 to help trace Abdul. Saleem has also appealed to External Affairs S. Jaishankar for help in locating his son.