Gujarat family kidnapped in Libya while migrating to Portugal: Report

A family from Gujarat's Mehsana district, along with their three-year-old daughter, has been abducted in Libya while attempting to migrate to Portugal. Kidnappers are now demanding a hefty ransom of Rs 2 crore (approximately 240,000 dollars) for their release, senior officials confirmed on Saturday.

The victims have been identified as Kismatsinh Chavda, his wife Heenaben, and their young daughter, Devanshi. According to Mehsana Superintendent of Police Himanshu Solanki, the family, residents of Badalpura village, were taken hostage in Benghazi, Libya, after embarking on a difficult journey facilitated by a Portugal-based agent.

The Chavdas had left Ahmedabad for Dubai on November 29, intending to join Kismatsinh's brother, who is already settled in Portugal. From Dubai, they were subsequently transported to Benghazi, where their hopeful journey took a terrifying turn into abduction.

SP Solanki clarified that the agents involved in facilitating this illicit migration are not Indian nationals. "The family was travelling with the intention to settle there, and the agents involved in the case are not Indians," he said.

Relatives of the family in Mehsana were contacted by the kidnappers, who issued the demand for the substantial Rs 2 crore ransom. Mehsana Collector SK Prajapati stated that the family's kin approached him on Friday, prompting immediate action. He has since informed both the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs, initiating a coordinated effort with central agencies to trace the family and ensure their safe return.