Ahmedabad: A desperate plea for legal intervention reached the Gujarat High Court recently. Relatives of nine individuals, who mysteriously vanished seven months ago while attempting to enter the US illegally, sought answers and action in their petition.
In a compelling move to uncover the truth, the families' attorney filed a PIL, appealing to the bench led by the Chief Justice. The court was urged to expedite the proceedings, given the potential life-threatening situation faced by the missing persons.
The High Court has since sought a response from the government.
The story
According to the FIR lodged by Bharat Rabari's wife at the Prantij police station, the unfolding drama began when Rabari was lured by agents, Divyesh Patel and Mahendra Patel, with the promise of a US Work Permit Visa.
Falling prey to their scheme, Rabari agreed to pay them a staggering Rs 70 lakh (around Dh310,000), handing over Rs 20 lakh (Dh89,000) initially and committing to pay the balance upon successful arrival in the US.
Police investigations reveal that Rabari and eight other individuals, including two women, embarked on a perilous journey that led them through Amsterdam, the Port of Spain, and Dominica.
The missing persons have been identified as Ankit Patel from Gandhinagar; Kiran Patel from Mehsana; Avani Jeetendra Patel from Gandhinagar; Sudhir Patel from Mehsana; Pratik Patel from Kheda, Nikhil Patel from Mehsana; Champa Vasava from Ahmedabad (originally from Mehsana); Dhruvrajsinh Vaghela from Gandhinagar, and Bharat Rabari from Sabarkantha.
