Four residents of Gujarat, including a married couple, have safely returned home after being held hostage in Iran while attempting to travel to Australia. The individuals, who hail from the Mansa taluka in Gandhinagar district, arrived in Ahmedabad via New Delhi following their ordeal. Local authorities are awaiting their full recovery to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
The victims have been identified as Ajaykumar Kantibhai Chaudhary (31), Priyaben Ajaykumar Chaudhary (25), Anilkumar Raghjibhai Chaudhary (35), and Nikhilkumar Ramanbhai Chaudhary (28). The group had reportedly departed from Mansa on October 19, with hopes of finding better job opportunities in Australia. Their journey involved traveling to Delhi and then onward to Tehran via Bangkok and Dubai on Emirates Airlines.
Upon arrival at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, the four were allegedly abducted. According to Mansa MLA Jayantibhai Somabhai Patel, the victims were taken hostage shortly after arriving in Tehran. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₹2 crore (approximately USD 240,000) for their release and sent disturbing videos of the victims being beaten and stripped to their families. Relatives claim that around ₹40 lakh had already been transferred under pressure following the ransom calls.
Mansa MLA Jayantibhai Somabhai Patel brought the case to the attention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a letter dated October 26. Patel stated that the individuals had traveled from Mansa to Delhi and then, through a third-party agent, onward to Tehran via Bangkok and Dubai. He requested urgent central intervention, including coordination through Indian diplomatic channels, to locate and rescue the abducted villagers. Patel emphasized the need for immediate action by central agencies and international partners, given the victims were trafficked across multiple countries before reaching Iran.
According to a police official, the release of the four Gujarati residents was achieved through coordination between Indian and Iranian authorities. Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravi Teja Vasamasetty stated that the individuals landed in Ahmedabad airport on Tuesday and have since returned to their homes. Due to their distressed state, authorities were unable to gather much information initially. A formal investigation will commence once a complaint is filed.
The incident highlights the risks associated with unauthorized migration attempts through Iran and the Gulf region. In September 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory warning that several Indians had been lured to Iran with false promises of employment or onward travel to third countries, only to be kidnapped by criminal gangs demanding ransom. A similar case occurred in June 2023, involving an Ahmedabad couple who were held captive in Tehran while attempting to enter the United States illegally. They were released after intervention by Indian authorities.
Local sources suggest the involvement of at least two intermediaries – a local travel agent and a Delhi-based agent – who allegedly facilitated the travel. While the precise role of the local agent is unclear, the Delhi contact is suspected of having deeper connections to the abduction network. Authorities are urged to investigate the entire route taken by the victims, verify ticketing and hotel records, and apprehend the handlers who orchestrated the journey.
