Baku: An Indian couple, who were abducted and tortured in Azerbaijan, while on their way to the US via the illegal ‘donkey route’, have deen rescued after diplomatic efforts by India.
The couple, identified as Dhruv Patel and Dipika Patel from Gujarat’s Anand district, had hoped to reach the US through a network of irregular travel routes promising entry without valid visas, as reported by NDTV.
The duo left India on January 30 after being persuaded to do so by Mumbai-based agents. Upon arrival in Baku, Azerbaijan, they were abducted by unknown individuals and taken to a deserted house where they were confined, according to their families and Anand MP Mitesh Patel.
Relatives claimed that the two were confined in a ‘dungeon-like setting’. The kidnappers got in touch with their families in Anand over WhatsApp video calls and demanded money. In one of the videos, Dhruv was seen being beaten up, relatives alleged.
The abductors also threatened to remove and sell the kidneys of both hostages if their demands were not met, after which the families reportedly managed to raise Rs 65 lakh, a combination of cash and cryptocurrency, as ransom.
The families then approached Patel, who immediately reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs and external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
“Two days ago, the parents of Dhruv Patel and Dipika Patel contacted me and told me that they were kidnapped in Azerbaijan. They said they (family members) received a video call in which people (kidnappers) from Azerbaijan demanded ransom for their release,” he said.
The MEA launched a swift diplomatic effort, referred to as ‘Operation Mahisagar’, involving coordination between the MEA and the Indian Embassy in Baku.
The embassy in Baku got in touch with local authorities and within 24 hours, the couple were located and taken to the safety of the Indian Embassy premises. Patel, while expressing gratitude to the Indian government for the expedited rescue, urged young people not to fall prey to fake agents offering illegal migration shortcuts.
As per the NDTV report, an Iranian known as “Baba Khan” and his associate named Pawan Rocky are suspected to be involved in the network and targeted the couple.
The legal process has begun to send the two back to India.
