- Three Gujarat residents missing during illegal US journey attempt.
- Believed kidnapped in Ethiopia; Rs 1 crore ransom demanded.
- Families paid agents Rs 70-75 lakh per person.
Three residents of Gujarat’s Mehsana district have reportedly gone missing while attempting to reach the United States through an alleged illegal route. Their relatives say the trio may have been kidnapped in Ethiopia and that a ransom of Rs 1 crore has been demanded for their release. The family has appealed to the government for urgent help.
Three Indians Missing
The missing people have been identified as 30-year-old Mamta Chavda, 23-year-old Rutvik Jansari and 27-year-old Mayuri Solanki. Rutvik is from Vadsma village in Mehsana, Mamta is originally from Mehsana but lives in Ahmedabad, while Mayuri is from Gandhinagar. According to PTI, citing their relatives, the three had left Gujarat on September 20 with the help of travel agents.
Journey Arranged By Agents
They have not been reachable since September 22. Mamta’s father, Kiritbhai Chauhan, said the family paid around Rs 70 lakh for each person to arrange their journey to the US. He added that the total amount was paid to agents involved in the travel arrangements. The family had first approached local agent Alpesh Panchal, who then connected them with Vadodara-based agent Bhargav Patel.
Route Through Ethiopia
The final agreed cost was said to be Rs 75 lakh per person. The trio’s journey reportedly started from Gozaria in Gujarat. They were then taken to Jaipur. They then travelled by Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi and later to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They stayed at a place known as GSF Camp on Swaziland Street in Ethiopia using one-month e-visas. When Mamta contacted her family on September 22, they had reached Canada. However, soon after the call, all three phones were switched off.
Ransom Call
Three days later, the family allegedly received a call from a person who identified himself as Khan. The caller claimed that the three had been taken hostage and demanded Rs 1 crore for their release. Rutvik’s grandfather, Kanubhai Jansari claimed that Rs 60 lakh had already been paid to the kidnappers. Family members claim that they may have been abducted in Ethiopia and might have not reached Canada as well. Police at Langhnaj police station are investigating the case.
You May Also Like To Watch: