A student from Hyderabad, who had been reported missing under mysterious circumstances in New Jersey in the United States for two weeks, has now been traced.
The youngster, identified as 26-year-old Mirza Ali Ahmed Baig, whose family lives in Hyderabad’s Santoshnagar area, had gone to the US in 2015 to pursue an engineering course from the University of Gannon in Pennsylvania. He later moved to New Jersey to opt for another course from the American Institute of Commerce and Technology in 2017.
Speaking to ANI, Ahmed's brother Mizra Mukram Ali Baig said, "We are happy and it is a great feeling to know that my brother, Mirza Ahmed Ali Baig, is safe in the USA. We were worried that our brother might be in danger. However, we have now got a confirmation from him that he is safe and has moved to New Jersey willingly due to some personal reasons. I would like to thank External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Indian consulate and all others officials who have helped us in the matter."
Ahmed has not visited home since he left for the US in 2015.
Media reports state that when the local police conducted a check of his house, they could not find any of his documents.
The family then appealed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help.
The family also claimed that during their last call to Ahmed before he went missing, he reportedly told them that he was under great stress and had allegedly been receiving threatening calls.
During the last call that he made home, Ahmed expressed his wish to speak to his brother and said that he would 'reveal' everything to his family soon.
He also said that he was being extorted by some local Indians who had settled there, his family told the media, suspecting that this was why he had shifted cities in the US.