MUMBAI: Arif Majeed, one of the four youngsters from Kalyan suspected of joining Sunni insurgents in Iraq, reportedly died in a bomb blast in Mosul a few days ago.The family of Arif’s companion Shaheen Tanki told the police that they received a call from their son on Tuesday, informing of Arif’s death. The news was shared with Arif’s family. On Wednesday, Arif’s family performed Namaze Gaybana (prayers for the dead whose body is not at the prayer location) at a mosque in their building complex in Kalyan. The prayer was attended by close relatives and friends.Himanshu Roy, head of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, which is probing the four youths’ disappearance in Iraq in late May, said the “details are being verified”. Another ATS official however said: “The information looks credible.”Arif, an engineering student, travelled to Iraq on May 23 with Fahad Sheikh, Aman Tandel and Shaheen on ‘pilgrimage to the country’s religious shrines’, but never returned. They are believed to have joined the Sunni insurgents of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS ).While Arif had not called his family for a long time, the other three had continually spoken to theirs. On Monday, requested by Arif’s family, Shaheen’s family enquired with him about Arif’s health when he called up. Shaheen did not answer the question then, but around 6.15pm on Tuesday he called again and broke the news that Arif had died in a bombing. He phoned again around 12.30am on Wednesday and asked, in between sobs, if Arif’s family had been told. Sources said the calls were made, like before, using internet facilities, so that the parents could not trace the location.(Photo courtesy: Mumbai Mirror)Arif, the son of a Kalyan-based doctor, was studying engineering in Navi Mumbai. While his close family could not be reached for comments, a relative of his demanded punishment for those who “brainwashed him” into joining the ISIS. “We are upset with the probe. Investigators grilled two suspects who were supposed to travel to Iraq with the four youths, but they never traced those who indoctrinated them,” said the relative.The news of Asif’s death shattered the families of the other three youths. They are praying that their sons return home, soon. “In every call from the youngsters, their mothers plead with them to come back. But they avoid the subject. All they say is that they are fine and working somewhere,” said a relative.