Rudrapur: A case of alleged human trafficking, fraud and kidnapping has come to light from Gadarpur of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand. The family of the victim has approached the police, stating that they have been asked to pay a ransom for his safety.
Sources said that a youngster named Rohit Kumar was lured by Himanshu Sharma, an agent, on the pretext of sending him to South Korea. The latter claimed to send him through a legal channel and sought a payment of Rs 15 lakh, of which Rs 5,65,000 was taken as an advance.
Rohit’s family has alleged that instead of sending him to South Korea, he was first sent to Bangkok, then to Sharjah and Dubai, from where he was finally transported to Ethiopia. The family’s contact with Rohit was completely lost upon his arrival in Ethiopia on April 5.
The family has told the police that they received photographs showing the young man in captivity, where his mouth was tied, and his body bore injury marks. The family claimed that Rohit had been kidnapped in Ethiopia, and a ransom of approximately Rs 80 lakh was demanded for his release.
Sources disclosed that the family released some WhatsApp videos in which the call was made by ISD number +1(289) and the caller identified himself as Khan Baba. He talked about the kidnapping of Rohit and stated that he had released another person after taking ransom money.
The family have appealed to the police to bring back their son safely and take appropriate action against the accused. They have alleged that an organised gang worked in tandem with Himanshu Sharma. They have named some others as accused, stating that they operate an office named Intraco near Papneja Colony on Gularbhoj Road in Gadarpur and defraud people in the name of sending them abroad.
The Police have started probing the matter. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajay Ganpati said that efforts are being made to trace Rohit and strict legal action will be taken against the culprits.
“The network involved in the illegal migration will not be spared at any cost. Police teams are currently investigating the case. The family is hopeful that Rohit will be brought back safely soon,” he said.
