3 Indian relatives taking illegal route to US go missing, family claims abduction in Ethiopia

Three residents of Gujarat, who were reportedly travelling to the United States via an alleged illegal route, have gone untraceable and their relatives claim they were kidnapped in Ethiopia. Their families are seeking the government's intervention in the matter.

The three, who are related, left for the US on September 20 through agents and have been untraceable since September 22, news agency PTI reported, citing relatives.

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Who are three missing Gujarat residents?

According to the report, the three missing individuals are related and were identified as:

• Rutvik Jansari, of Vadsma village in Mehsana
• Mamta Chavda, originally from Mehsana and currently residing in Ahmedabad
• Mayuri, a resident of Gandhinagar

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‘Already paid a lot, nothing left’

Kiritbhai Chauhan, Mamta's father, told reporters on Tuesday that the family paid an agent around ₹70 lakh for each to send the three to the US.

Chauhan further claimed that the three were held captive after reaching Ethiopia. He added that the alleged kidnappers demanded ₹1 crore for their release.

"We have already paid huge money to send them (to the US). We have nothing left and are helpless. We request the government to bring our three children back safely," PTI quoted him as saying.

Similarly, Kanubhai Jansari, Rutvik's grandfather, also claimed that kidnappers had demanded ₹1 crore for their release.

He added that ₹60 lakh had already been paid to the kidnappers.

The relatives have claimed that the three missing individuals travelled with the assistance of an agent from Mehsana district, who allegedly connected them with another agent from Vadodara.

Furthermore, Alpesh Panchal, a local agent, also told reporters that the alleged abductors demanded a ransom of ₹1 crore.

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According to the police, cited in the report, the trio has been reported missing. The police said that their whereabouts could not be ascertained after September 22.

Husband left on student visa, wife wanted to follow

Inspector A M Gehlot of the Langhnaj police station in Mehsana district noted that Mamta's father lodged a missing persons complaint on Tuesday.

According to the complaint, Mamta's husband, Chirag Kumar, had gone to the US on a student visa around six months ago. She had allegedly tried several times to obtain an American visa, but was unsuccessful, Gehlot said.

Following her unsuccessful attempts to get a US visa, her family approached intermediaries to arrange her travel through an illegal route, the police official said.

He said Mamta, Rutvik and Mayuri left their homes on September 20.

"On September 22, Kiritbhai spoke to his daughter Mamta. After that, there has been no contact with her. A missing persons complaint was registered at the Langhnaj Police Station after family members failed to establish contact with the three," the official said.