Gujarat couple kidnapped in Azerbaijan while heading to US rescued

A couple from Gujarat’s Anand district, who were kidnapped and held hostage for ransom in Azerbaijan while attempting to reach the United States through illegal means, have been rescued with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), local Lok Sabha MP Mitesh Patel said on Tuesday.The couple, identified as Dhruv Patel and his wife Dipika Patel, are safe and have been brought to the Indian Embassy in Baku following swift diplomatic intervention, the BJP MP from Anand said in a video statement.
According to Mitesh Patel, the couple’s parents approached him two days ago after losing contact with them. “They told me they had received a video call from Azerbaijan in which the kidnappers demanded ransom for the release of Dhruv and Dipika,” he said.The MP said the couple was kidnapped while travelling to the US with the help of agents who had promised them safe passage through illegal routes. Alarmed by the threat to their lives, the family sought immediate help from Patel’s office.
Following this, Patel made a high-level representation to the MEA and met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Monday during the ongoing Parliament session. The MEA subsequently contacted the Indian Embassy in Azerbaijan.“Within 24 hours, both the kidnapped persons were rescued and brought to the Indian Embassy in Baku,” Patel said, crediting the prompt coordination between the MEA and Indian officials in Azerbaijan.He added that the kidnappers had threatened to kill the couple if the ransom was not paid. “Our government worked very hard to bring them back alive,” he said.Issuing a cautionary message, the MP appealed to the youth of Anand and Gujarat not to fall prey to agents offering illegal routes to foreign countries. “Rather, work here. You will get the best opportunities here in Gujarat,” he said.Patel also thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their efforts in ensuring the safe rescue of the couple.

(State Correspondent)