US dream turns nightmare: 3 Gujaratis 'vanish' in Ethiopia, family seeks govt help after scary ransom demand
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US dream turns nightmare: 3 Gujaratis 'vanish' in Ethiopia, family seeks govt help after scary ransom demand")
'We have nothing left': Family seeks help as 3 Gujaratis allegedly kidnapped in Ethiopia Photograph: (AFP)
Three Gujaratis attempting to reach the US through the alleged 'Donkey route' have gone missing in Ethiopia. Their families claim they were kidnapped and have received a Rs 1 crore ransom demand after reportedly paying agents around Rs 70 lakh.
Three people from Gujarat who were travelling to the United States through an alleged illegal migration route have gone missing in Ethiopia, with their families claiming they were kidnapped and a ransom of Rs 1 crore demanded for their release. The three relatives left Gujarat on September 20 with the help of travel agents and were last heard from on September 22, according to their families and police. A missing persons complaint has been registered at Langhnaj police station in Mehsana district, while relatives have appealed to the government for help in bringing them back safely.
The missing travellers have been identified in reports as 23-year-old Rutvik Jansari of Vadsma village in Mehsana, 30-year-old Mamta Chavda, originally from Mehsana and currently living in Ahmedabad, and another female relative from Gandhinagar. Some reports identify the third person as Mayuri Solanki, while others have named her Gopi.
Visa rejections led family to seek an ‘alternative route’
According to the complaint cited by police, Mamta's husband had travelled to the US on a student visa, while even after six attempts she had repeatedly failed to secure an American visa.
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Her family subsequently approached intermediaries who promised to arrange her journey to the US through an unauthorised route, also referred to as a Dunki, or Donkey route. The agents allegedly connected the family with another intermediary in Vadodara, with the total amount reported to be in the range of Rs 60 lakh to Rs 75 lakh per person. The family says around Rs 70 lakh had already been paid in instalments.
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The journey began on September 20. The three were taken from Gujarat to Jaipur and then flew to Abu Dhabi on an Etihad Airways flight before travelling onwards to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Reports say they were staying at a facility identified as GSF Camp on Swaziland Street in Addis Ababa and had Ethiopian e-visas valid for around a month.
Family first told they had reached Canada
On September 22, Mamta spoke to her father and reportedly said that the group had reached Canada. The call was followed by a sudden loss of contact. All three phones were switched off, and relatives were unable to reach them.
The family's concerns deepened when a man identifying himself as “Khan” allegedly called and demanded Rs 1 crore in exchange for the trio's release.
Mamta's father, Kiritbhai Chauhan, said the family had already spent a huge amount trying to arrange their journey and had nothing left. “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.
Rutvik's grandfather, Kanubhai Jansari, has also claimed that Rs 1 crore was demanded for the trio's release.
Agent claims his contact is also missing
Local agent Alpesh Panchal, identified as the man who arranged their journey, has said that the three never actually reached Canada and were allegedly kidnapped while they were still in Ethiopia.
Panchal also claimed that his own international contact had gone missing and that money had already been paid to the alleged kidnappers, who are now demanding another Rs 1 crore. The claims have not been independently established.
Police probe disappearance
Langhnaj police have confirmed that the trio has been reported missing and that their whereabouts could not be established after September 22.
Police are examining the role of the agents involved in arranging the journey and are trying to establish the trio's actual location and what happened after they reached Ethiopia. The ransom call is also being examined as part of the investigation.
The case has also renewed concerns over Indians using illegal migration routes to reach the US, where travellers can become dependent on intermediaries operating outside formal immigration and travel systems.
