Three members of a family from Gujarat on their way to the US through an illegal migration route have gone missing in the East African nation of Ethiopia, with their relatives claiming they were abducted for a ₹ 1 crore ransom. The alleged abduction is the latest in a series of cases involving perilous routes for illegal immigration from Gujarat.
Police registered a missing persons complaint after Chauhan reported losing contact with the three. The three flew to Abu Dhabi via Jaipur and to Ethiopia. The three, Rutvik Jansari, Mamta Chavda, and Mayuri from Mehsana and Gandhinagar, left for the US on September 20 with the help of agents. They last contacted their kin on September 22, according to the complaint lodged with the Gujarat Police. The agents allegedly offered to facilitate the journey for around ₹ 70 lakh each.
Chavda’s father, Kiritbhai Chauhan, told police that the family approached agents to arrange her travel to the US after she failed to obtain a visa. Inspector AM Ghelot said they are investigating the circumstances under which the three went missing.
A year later, a Mehsana family drowned in the St Lawrence River during a similar attempt. A family from Gujarat’s Mehsana attempting to illegally enter the US from Mexico was among at least 16 people on a boat that capsized in waters off Torrey Pines State Beach in May 2025. In January 2022, a family of four from Dingucha (Gandhinagar) froze to death while trying to cross from Canada into the US.
A man identifying himself as “Khan” allegedly contacted the family and demanded ₹ 1 crore ransom for their release.
