Two residents of Anand district in Gujarat, who were allegedly taken abroad under false promises and later held hostage in Azerbaijan, have been brought to safety at the Indian embassy, officials said.
Anand MP Mitesh Patel while talking to a section of the media confirmed on Tuesday that the victims — a man from Jhankhariya village and a woman from Vasad — are now under protection after the matter was urgently taken up with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Patel told reporters that swift action by Indian authorities ensured the two were secured within 24 hours of the issue being raised.
The victims have been identified as Dhruv Patel and Dipika Patel. Their families allege that the two were cheated by Mumbai-based agents who claimed they could facilitate travel to the United States through Canada. Instead, they were reportedly trafficked to Azerbaijan, where they were allegedly assaulted and threatened.
Family members earlier accused the agents of extortion, physical abuse, and even issuing threats of organ trafficking. They claimed that a ransom amounting to Rs. 65 lakh was extracted, part of it through cryptocurrency payments.
Patel said the families approached him for help, following which he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and senior MEA officials in New Delhi on Monday during the ongoing Parliament session.
“Due to the prompt intervention of the MEA, immediate steps were taken, and the victims were traced and provided protection,” Patel said.
A detailed representation submitted by the MP to the Union Home Ministry, the MEA, and Indian missions abroad stated that the two victims travelled from Vadodara to Delhi on separate flights on January 30. They were reportedly put up at a hotel in Mahipalpur arranged by the agents.
According to media reports, on February 1, they boarded an Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Delhi to Baku. After reaching there, their mobile phones were allegedly switched off on the instructions of the handlers.
The families later received disturbing video calls in which Dhruv was seen being assaulted. They were also reportedly warned of serious consequences if ransom demands were not met, media reports said.
According to the complaint, Dhruv’s family paid Rs. 35 lakh in cash to the main agent in Mumbai and another Rs. 15 lakh in USDT cryptocurrency to a suspected associate. Dipika’s family is said to have paid an additional Rs. 15 lakh in cryptocurrency.
Following the complaint filed by relatives, Anand Town police registered an FIR against five individuals. The case has been transferred to the local crime branch (LCB), which is now working to trace and arrest those linked to the alleged trafficking network.
MP Patel urged young people to remain cautious and not fall into the trap of illegal agents offering overseas migration through unofficial routes.
Also Read: ‘Gujarat Breeding Ground for Human Trafficking Agents’: ED Investigation https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-breeding-ground-for-human-trafficking-agents-ed-investigation/
