Ahmedabad: In an incident that exposes the severe risks of illegal immigration, a family of four from the Gomtipur area of Ahmedabad has been held hostage in an African country while attempting to migrate to London. The kidnappers, believed to be Pakistani origin persons, are demanding a massive ransom of up to ₹1.20 crore, leaving the family’s daughter in Ahmedabad making desperate pleas to the government for their safe return.

The Journey and Disappearance

The victims include a couple and their two sons, who had reportedly agreed to pay a travel agent ₹25 lakh per person to secure their passage to London. According to Shreya Hemekar, the daughter who remained in Ahmedabad, her parents and brothers began their journey on April 20. They initially traveled to Delhi, where they stayed for three days, before moving on to Sri Lanka and eventually arriving in Dubai.

Trouble began in Dubai when the agent started delaying their flight tickets and forcing the family to use different airline companies and alternating routes. In voice messages sent to Shreya, her mother and elder brother expressed frustration over the agent’s suspicious behavior. The family’s final contact with Shreya indicated they were scheduled to board a flight to Ethiopia at 5 PM. After a brief, normal conversation about having eaten burgers, all communication abruptly ceased, and the family went missing.

Gruesome Threats and Extortion

Shreya was soon contacted by a kidnapper identifying himself as “Khan Baba,” who called using an international number traced to Australia. The kidnapper claimed the family was being held captive in a jungle in Kenya and demanded a ransom of ₹1.20 crore for their release.

To terrorize the family into paying, the kidnappers sent a gruesome, blood-soaked photograph of Shreya’s elder brother. “I have given the photo [to the police], but I do not know if my brother is still alive or not,” a devastated Shreya stated.

The kidnapper also arrogantly threatened that no police force could save them, boasting that he had previously kidnapped and successfully extorted crores of rupees from an MLA’s son and another family from Mansa.

Ongoing Police Investigation

A formal complaint of kidnapping and extortion has been registered at the Gomtipur Police Station. Following the intervention of a local MLA, the police investigation has intensified, with Shreya noting that the local Police Inspector (PI) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) are actively investigating and providing her with full support.

The ongoing police probe has already revealed the involvement of a travel agent ‘Mistry’ based in Valsad. According to Shreya, no money was given to Mistry, as the deal was to hand over the money only when the family reach safely in London and start asylum procedure there. Meanwhile, neighbors in Gomtipur expressed shock over the incident, stating that the family-who ran a local grocery store where the father, Kiranbhai, and younger son Rudra worked—had kept their plans to move abroad entirely secret from the community.

As authorities work to trace the international human trafficking syndicate, an anxious Shreya awaits any news of her family’s rescue. Meanwhile, the audio of telephone conversation between Shreya and her kidnapped mother has gone viral. DeshGujarat