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A couple from Gujarat’s Mehsana district and their three-year-old daughter were allegedly held hostage in Libya for a ransom of ₹2 crore while trying to immigrate to Portugal, officials said on Saturday (Dec 13, 2025).
Kismatsinh Chavda, his wife Heenaben and daughter Devanshi were abducted in the North African nation bordering the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Portugal, where the man’s brother had settled, Mehsana Superintendent of Police Himanshu Solanki said.
He said the family from Badalpura village in the district traveled with the help of an agent based in Portugal with a plan to settle in the European country. The official said Mehsana Collector SK Prajapati has been informed about the incident.
The family flew to Dubai from Ahmedabad on November 29. From there, they were taken to Benghazi, Libya, where they were kidnapped, Mr. Solanki said.
“(Mr) Chavda’s brother settled in Portugal and traveled with the help of an agent based in Portugal. The family traveled with the intention of settling there and the agents involved in the case are not Indians,” Mr Solanki said.
The official said the kidnappers contacted relatives of the families in Mehsana and demanded ₹2 million as ransom.
Collector Prajapati said that Mr Chavda’s relatives approached him on Friday (December 13, 2025) and that he informed the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs about their case.
Published – 13 Dec 2025 20:20 IST
