The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has responded, saying it is trying to locate the man. (Videograb)
A video showing a man claiming to be from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, trapped in Saudi Arabia has gone viral online. In the video, the man speaks in Bhojpuri and pleads for help, saying he is held against his will. He can be seen near a camel and is visibly distressed. Within 24 hours, the video received over 140,000 views.
“My village is in Allahabad… I came to Saudi Arabia. Kapil has my passport. I told him I need to go home, but he is threatening to kill me,” he says in the clip.
The man further appeals to viewers: “Brother, share this video, share it so much that, with your support from India, I can get help and come back to India. If you are from Muslim, Hindu or anyone – brother, wherever you are — please help. Please help me, I will die; I need to go to my mother. Share this video as much as possible. Look, there is nobody here nearby, nobody is here — look brother, I will die. Share this video so much that it should reach up to the Prime Minister.”
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has responded, saying it is trying to locate the man. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), it said, “Embassy has been trying to locate the person. No further action can be taken as the video does not contain any details about the location/province in Saudi Arabia, or contact number or employer details.”
The embassy reached out to Delhi-based lawyer Kalpana Shrivastav, who shared the video online, asking her to provide more information. “@Lawyer_Kalpana, please seek details from the source of the video you have posted,” the embassy tweeted.
The embassy also contacted authorities in Uttar Pradesh. It is advised that the man’s family in Prayagraj should write to them at cw.riyadh@mea.gov.in. Officials from the district administration and local police have been urged to reach out to the family for more details.
Advocate Kalpana Shrivastav, who shared the video tagging External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, wrote, “Honorable Foreign Minister @DrSJaishankar ji, please take immediate cognizance, a resident of Prayagraj Handia Pratappur is stuck in Saudi Arabia.”
Authorities have not confirmed the man’s identity or exact location yet. The embassy has urged anyone with credible information, including the man’s relatives, to contact them directly. Public support and circulation of the video may help trace the man and ensure his safe return to India.
