A video doing rounds on the internet showing an Indian man who claims to have been held captive in Saudi Arabia and is desperately pleading to return to his homeland has drawn a reaction from the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia. In a statement on X, the embassy said: “The embassy has been trying to locate the person. No further action can be taken as the video does not contain any details of a location/province in Saudi Arabia or a contact number or employer details.”
The embassy further appealed to Delhi-based lawyer Kalpana Shrivastav, who shared the video, to get details from the source. “@Lawyer_Kalpana please check the source of the video you posted for details,” it read.
The mission also reached out to Uttar Pradesh authorities, writing, “As this person says he is from Prayagraj district, @DM_PRAYAGRAJ @Sp_prayag @prayagraj_pol may also reach out to his family and advise them to write to us at cw.riyadh@mea.gov.in,” he added.
The video goes viral
A video doing the rounds on social media shows a man speaking in Bhojpuri with a camel in the background, claiming he is being held against his will in Saudi Arabia. In the video, she says, “My village is in Allahabad… I came to Saudi Arabia. Kapil has my passport. I told him I have to go home, but he is threatening to kill me.”
Visibly desperate, he pleads for help: “Brother, share this video, share it so much that with your support I can get help from India and come back. If you’re a Muslim, a Hindu or anyone – wherever you are – help me. I’m dying; I need to go to my mother. Share this video as much as possible. Look, there’s no one around here – I’m going to die. Share this video. Share this video.
The video was shared by Delhi-based advocate Kalpana Shrivastav who tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and wrote, “Dear Foreign Minister @DrSJaishankar ji, please take immediate notice that Prayagraj resident Handia Pratappur is stranded in Saudi Arabia.” Shrivastav also urged the public to amplify the video, noting that wider circulation could help authorities find and help the man.
Indian officials have not yet confirmed the man’s identity or whereabouts. The Indian embassy urged anyone with credible information – including the man’s family in Prayagraj – to contact them directly.
