New Delhi: A 25-year-old student from Hyderabad, Nacharam Mohammed Abdul Arfath, who traveled to the United States to pursue his master's degree, has been reported missing since March 7. He pursued a Master's in IT from Cleveland University and resided in Cleveland.
Mohammed Saleem, the father of Abdul, informed ANI that his son traveled to the US on May 23 to pursue his master's degree. They had regular communication until March 7, after which Abdul went out of reach as his phone was switched off.
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 USD 1,200 to 'release' him, reported PTI.
"My son went to USA on May 23 to pursue a master's degree. He was doing fine and was talking to me every day. After March 7 we couldn't talk. We tried calling but the phone was off, later we called our brother and asked him to see. As my son was not in the location, they went and filed a missing complaint. After 10 days we got a call on WhatsApp, that our son was kidnapped...I urge the State government and Central government to find my son," he told ANI.
The caller also threatened to sell Abdul's kidneys if the ransom wasn't paid, his father said.
"Yesterday, I got a call from an unknown number, and the caller informed me that my son has 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 told PTI.
He urged both the State and Central governments to assist in locating his son. Saleem also wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.