After an Indian man’s video from Saudi Arabia has gone viral, which he is claiming that he has been taken into captivity has sparked debate. The Indian embassy in Riyadh has stepped in and started searching for the man who reportedly hails from Uttar Pradesh.
The man in the video is seen speaking in Bhojpur, and belongs to Handia, Pratappur in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district. The video was shared by a Delhi-based lawyer, as he claims that his passport was taken by a person named “Kapil”. The man is seen appealing directly to PM Modi for help.
Soon after the video went viral, the Indian embassy responded that they were locating the man, but it was difficult due to a lack of important details, including his location, name, passport, or the employer’s name. The Indian mission in Riyadh also appealed to the government of Uttar Pradesh and the district administration of Prayagraj to reach out to the man’s family in the district to find any clue to his location.
Saudi’s Public Security department has refuted the claims made in the video calling it false and edited to increase social media views. The department posted a clarification on social media claiming that the video is false.
It’s notable to see that the video comes at the time when the Kafala(sponsorship) system in Saudi Arabia has ended. The system introduced in the 1950s tied the migrant workers to their employers and has been criticised as a major violation to the workers rights by human rights organizations. The system has been ended in conformity with the Vision 2030 of the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
The identity of the person remains unclear as of now, but the Indian embassy has asked anyone with credible information to inform the mission as soon as possible.
The video of the man can be found here
