2 Murders, Alleged Abduction: What killed 11 Indian-Origin Men Studying In US In 4 Months

Mohammed Abdul Arfath, a 25-year-old Master’s student at Cleveland University, was found dead after being missing for nearly three weeks. 

Image used for representational purposes only.

As many as 11 Indian or Indian-origin students have lost their lives in the US so far in 2024, with at least two confirmed as murders. 

The latest was reported Tuesday – Mohammed Abdul Arfath, a 25-year-old Master’s student at Cleveland University, who was found dead after being missing for nearly three weeks. 

According to a PTI report, the Hyderabad native’s father had received a ransom call in the days following Arfath’s disappearance. The youngster had left for the US last year.

The US consulate in New York said in a statement that it “is in touch with local agencies to ensure thorough investigation into Mr Mohammed Abdul Arfath’s death”.

Here are the other 10 deaths reported this year.

Uma Satya Sai Gadde

Uma Satya Sai Gadde was discovered dead – also in Cleveland, Ohio – in mysterious circumstances last week. Gadde was pursuing his higher studies at a college in Cleveland. 

The Indian consulate in New York said the police were investigating the case and were in touch with the student’s family in India. “All possible assistance is being extended, including to transport Mr Uma Gadde’s mortal remains to India at the earliest,” the consulate stated.

Abhijeeth Paruchuru

Abhijeeth Paruchuru, 20, who was studying engineering at Boston University, was found dead in a car deep within a forest last month. While the family has alleged murder, the Indian consulate said the initial investigations had ruled out foul play. 

Amarnath Ghosh

Amarnath Ghosh, a 34-year-old Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer from Kolkata, was shot dead by unidentified assailants last month in St Louis, Missouri, while he was out on an evening walk. Ghosh was pursuing a PhD in Fine Arts at Washington University in Missouri. He was the only child of his parents, who passed away three years ago. Ghosh’s murder was brought to public attention in India by his friend, TV actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee.

Neel Acharya

Neel Acharya, who was pursuing a double major at Purdue University in Indiana, was reported dead by the university on January 30. His body was found outside Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories on the campus, two days after his mother Goury Acharya posted on X that he had been missing since January 28. According to her, he was last spotted with an Uber driver who dropped him off at Purdue University.

Vivek Saini

Vivek Saini, a 25-year-old student, was attacked in Georgia’s Lithonia city in January by a 53-year-old drug addict. The assailant reportedly struck Saini 50 times. A resident of Haryana, Saini had just earned his MBA from Alabama University.

Shreyas Reddy Beniger

Shreyas Reddy Beniger, 19, who was studying at the Lindner College of Business in Ohio, was found dead in February. Beniger held an American passport but his parents lived in Hyderabad. Law-enforcement agencies said their investigations had ruled out foul play in the case.

Akul Dhawan

Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old Indian-American student enrolled at Illinois University, was discovered dead outside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in January. The initial findings of the autopsy suggested he died from hypothermia. His body was found near a club that had refused him entry. The autopsy report said acute alcohol intoxication and prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures had significantly contributed to his death, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Sameer Kamath

A 23-year-old Indian-American student pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering at Purdue University was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5. He had completed his Master’s degree in the same field at the same university last year and was a US citizen.

Dinesh and Nikesh

G. Dinesh (22) of Telangana and R. Nikesh (21) of Andhra Pradesh died in their sleep on January 15 in Connecticut. The duo, pursuing a Master’s at Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University, reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a room heater.

Indian Student Attacked

In February, Syed Mazahir Ali, a Hyderabad man pursuing studies in the US, was brutally attacked by four armed robbers near his house in Chicago. While he sustained grievous injuries, he survived the attack. A purported video of him bleeding after the attack subsequently went viral.