Bamako: An Indian-origin diamond merchant, who was abducted in Mali in April, was released after his family paid a ransom of Rs 44 crore.
Dhiru Ramani (75), had recently bought a gold mine in Mali and was living there for some time, as reported by PTI.
The abductors had initially demanded Rs 100 crore for Ramani’s release. His family, who live in the US then negotiated with them and brought the figure down. The sum of four million euros was paid last week to secure his release in the West African country, the report stated.
Local authorities are reportedly questioning the diamond merchant after his release. A source told the news agency that he is still in Mali and the police are questioning him about his release and the circumstances surrounding it.
Ramani is originally from the Amreli district in Gujarat and has been associated with the diamond trade in Surat.
According to the source, his family in the US negotiated his release by themselves with no assistance from the Indian government.
The Government of India does not engage in such negotiations that involve the payment of ransom.
It has been reported in the Indian Express that Ramani hails from the Dhar village in Amreli and has been connected to the diamond business since around 1980.
He moved to the US later, where his family runs an international diamond trading business.
In April, around the time when Ramani was abducted, the Indian Embassy in Mali’s capital Bamako had issued a general security advisory urging Indian nationals in the country to stay cautious, PTI reported.
The advisory, dated 25 April, pointed to recent security developments and reported attacks in Kati and other parts of Mali, and urged Indian nationals to remain vigilant, stay indoors, and follow instructions from Malian authorities. The advisory did not refer to any specific incident or individual.