Azerbaijan kidnap, torture, kidney trade threat: Indian duo's US journey horror

For Gujarat's 22-year-old Dhruv Patel and Deepika Patel (32), it was a longstanding dream to settle in the US. The allure of the American dream got them in touch with a Mumbai-based agent, who promised to send them to the US through the illegal "donkey route". However, the dream turned into a horrifying ordeal for the two youths, who were kidnapped in Azerbaijan, tortured and threatened with organ trafficking. They were eventually rescued by Indian authorities after the MP from Anand alerted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

How did the youths reach Azerbaijan? What ordeal did they face? How were they rescued? We will answer all these questions and the nightmare that Dhruv and Deepika had to face.

The youths, who hail from Kanthariya in Gujarat's Anand district, started their journey on January 30. From Anand, they reached Vadodara and eventually Delhi. The duo met at the Delhi airport. As mentioned earlier, their journey was facilitated by a Mumbai-based agent via the "donkey route". Dhruv paid around Rs 35 lakh to the agent, while the woman shelled out around Rs 15 lakh.

Now, what is this donkey or dunki route? It is an illegal migration route mainly used by people from India and South Asian nations to reach the US. However, the journey is arduous, which involves crossing through multiple countries and forests.

Now, Azerbaijan, which lies at the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, is a key transit point in the complex network of the donkey route to the US.

Dhruv and Deepika, unaware of what lay ahead of them, reached Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, on February 1. Upon landing, the agent asked them to switch off their mobile phones.

However, what unfolded next turned their lives upside down. The agent, identified as Pawan, demanded more money to proceed further. He also asked the duo not to make any further payment to the original agent in Mumbai.

The youths refused. The next morning, they were kidnapped and taken to a secluded house. They were then kept locked in the basement. Dhruv was brutally assaulted, and the kidnappers made his family watch the torture over WhatsApp video calls.

According to Dhruv's family, the kidnappers threatened that if the ransom was not paid, they would remove and sell his kidneys. The panic-stricken families of the youths somehow managed to arrange Rs 65 lakh to secure their release. Around half of the amount was paid through cryptocurrency. However, despite the payment, the kidnappers demanded more money.

With no other option left, the families approached Anand MP Mitesh Patel. The MP met S Jaishankar in New Delhi and sought urgent intervention. The Indian embassy in Baku was alerted, and a rescue mission -- codenamed 'Operation Mahisagar' -- was launched. Diplomatic pressure was also applied to the Azerbaijan government.

It eventually worked. Within 24 hours, Indian authorities located the youths and rescued them safely from the kidnappers in a daring operation. Presently, Dhruv and Deepika are under the protection of the Indian embassy in Azerbaijan. Legal formalities are underway to bring them back to India.

Speaking on the incident, MP Mitesh Patel called the case "deeply disturbing" and urged the youth not to fall prey to such "shortcuts".

"The moment I received the information, I contacted Jaishankar ji. Thanks to the government's prompt response, the rescue was completed within 24 hours. Citizens should not fall prey to deadly shortcuts offered by fake agents," Patel said.

Relieved family members in Anand expressed gratitude to the MP and the government.

Investigations have revealed the kidnappers were allegedly linked to a gang led by Pawan Rocky and an Iranian national known as 'Baba Khan'. The gang has reportedly been involved in similar kidnappings of youths from Gujarat's Mansa region in the past. Meanwhile, Gujarat police have launched a hunt for five Mumbai-based agents who trapped the victims.

The horrifying incident, exposing the dark underbelly of the Dunki route to the US, is not new. It also won't be the last. The allure of the American dream and a better life for Indian youths is too tempting. These organised networks of illegal immigration agents use this to trap gullible youths.

- Ends