The Indian consulate announced on Tuesday that they had found the dead body of an Indian engineering student who had gone missing in Ohio, United States, in the Cleveland area.

The consulate stated that it is currently in communication with the local authorities regarding Arfat's death investigation and the process of repatriating him to his family, for which the consulate will provide all necessary support. His death is the second in less than a week and the 11th in a series of incidents regarding Indian students just in 2024.

The Consulate General of India, New York, said in a statement: "We are deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Mr. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, whose search operation was in progress in Cleveland, Ohio." While consoling the bereaved family members of the late Arfath, the consulate offered its help to them to facilitate the transfer of the mortal remains of the deceased to India.

Hailing from Nacharam in Hyderabad, Mohammed Abdul Arfath ventured to the US in May last year to pursue a Master's in IT from Cleveland University. He had spoken to his father last on March 7th, and after that, his mobile phone was not reachable. His roommate had reported Arfath missing to the Cleveland Police, and three days later, that is, on the 19th of March, a ransom call was made to his family demanding $1200 for the reportedly kidnapped drug traffickers, threatening to sell off his kidneys if the ransom amount isn't paid.

The body of Mohammed Abdul Arfath was found in Cleveland on April 9, despite some action taken in cooperation with the consulate and local police.