Pakistani agent arrested for kidnapping an Indian couple in Iran

• Prompt action by Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi

• The couple wanted to enter the US illegally

Representational image (Credit : Hindustan Times)

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) – An incident has come in the fore in which Gujarati couple Pankaj and Nisha Patel have been kidnapped by Pakistani agents in Tehran, the Iranian capital. In exchange for their release, the kidnappers sent a video to their family demanding a ransom. The kidnappers in the video made the young man lie face down in the bathroom and then repeatedly stabbed him. In the video, Pankaj was seen crying and requesting his brother, “Brother, these people will kill me. Send the money soon.” In the horrifying video, a kidnapper was also seen constantly cutting his ribs. Within 24 hours of their family sending a WhatsApp message to Minister of State Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghavi, seeking help from the Government, the couple was rescued.

Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State Home Affairs, Guajarat

Despite that, the Home Minister dedicated two nights, Sunday and Monday, to getting the case investigated by a high-level team from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. Additionally, he personally reached out to various agencies including the Ministry of External Affairs, GOI, Central IB, RA&W, and INTERPOL. The Minister also contacted John Mai, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Iran, to trace Pankaj and Nisha. As a result, the couple’s location was eventually discovered, and with the assistance of the Police, both of them were successfully rescued. After the rescue operations, the couple received necessary medical attention before arranging their safe return to India.

Nisha Patel and Pankaj Patel wanted to go to the US. They did not have the required documents. An agent from Hyderabad lured them and promised to send them to the US via Iran. Accordingly, when the couple landed at the airport in Iran, they were abducted by a concerned Pakistani agent and demanded a ransom from their families in India.