Daijiworld Media Network - Mehsana

Mehsana, Dec 14: A couple from Gujarat’s Mehsana district and their three-year-old daughter have allegedly been taken hostage in Libya, with kidnappers demanding a ransom of Rs 2 crore, officials said.

The victims have been identified as Kismatsinh Chavda, his wife Heenaben and their daughter Devanshi, residents of Badalpura village in Mehsana district. According to police, the family was attempting to migrate to Portugal, where Chavda’s brother is settled.

Mehsana Superintendent of Police Himanshu Solanki said the family was travelling with the help of a Portugal-based agent. They reportedly flew from Ahmedabad to Dubai on November 29 and were then taken to Benghazi city in Libya, where they were allegedly kidnapped.

“The agents involved are not Indian nationals. The kidnappers have contacted the family’s relatives in Mehsana and demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore,” Solanki said, adding that the district administration has been informed about the incident.

Mehsana Collector S K Prajapati said the victim’s relatives approached him on Friday. “The matter has been brought to the notice of the state government as well as the Ministry of External Affairs,” he said.

According to sources, local MLA CJ Chavda has also raised the issue with both the state and central governments, seeking urgent intervention to ensure the safe release of the family.

Earlier in October, four Indians, including a couple from Gandhinagar district who were allegedly heading to Australia, were reportedly held captive in Iran before being released following intervention by the Indian government.