Naroda couple held hostage in Azerbaijan released, complaint filed
The kidnappers had asked for a ransom of ₹15 lakh
The couple was kept hostage in Baku city of Azerbaijan
Updated: Jun 21st, 2023
The couple, Pankaj Patel and his wife, Nisha Patel, who were on their way to enter USA illegally |
Pankaj Patel and his wife, Nisha Patel, were taken from Iran to Baku, Azerbaijan, in their attempt to enter the USA illegally. As per police investigation, the couple was released on June 20, and expected to return to Ahmedabad today. The couple was held hostage due to money disputes between the agents in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and overseas.
The threatening video by the kidnappers
Earlier, a video of Pankaj being tortured had surfaced, where he was seen begging his brother to transfer the money to save his life. The kidnapper was also heard in the video, threatening to kill Pankaj if the amount of ₹15 lakh was not transferred.
Pankaj’s brother filed an FIR
Pankaj’s brother, Sanket Patel filed an FIR against two Gandhinagar-based agents, Abhay Raval and Pintu Goswami, who promised Pankaj and his wife entry to the US for ₹1.15 cr. A part of the money was paid in advance, and the remaining amount was to be paid after the couple’s arrival.
The couple flew to Iran on June 11
The couple went to Hyderabad on June 3 and appeared for their interview in the Iranian Embassy. On June 11, they left for Iran, in a flight that had a layover in Dubai. As per reports, Pankaj was calling to get the money transferred, but Raval had told him to wait till he reached the US. After their arrival in Dubai, Pankaj was not reachable.
Once Patel and his wife were taken hostage in Iran and then taken to Baku, Raval had assured the family that he would get them free, and would only pay money once Pankaj reached the US. However, since Nisha was pregnant, the family was worried about her safety and went ahead to file an FIR.
Pankaj and Nisha are residents of Krishnanagar in Ahmedabad’s Naroda. Pankaj was an employee of a telecom company in Gota and got in touch with these two agents as he wanted to enter the US illegally.
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