‘Did It For Views’: Saudi Police Dismiss UP Man’s Hostage Claims As Indian Embassy Launches Probe

Last Updated:October 25, 2025, 5:10 PM IST

A 25-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district claimed he was being held against his will in Saudi Arabia by his employer after he went for a job there.

Saudi Arabian police rejected the claims of a 25-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district, who claimed that he was being held in the Gulf country against his will after his employer confiscated his travel documents and forced him into desert labour.

Ankit Bharti, also known as Indrajit, posted a viral video in which he said he travelled to Riyadh on October 1 to earn money after being persuaded by his wife, Pinky, and his father-in-law, Rajesh Saroj. He told viewers that instead of the work he had been promised, he is being made to herd camels across a barren stretch, is isolated and frightened, and has repeatedly asked to be allowed to return home to his mother.

“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 said. Addressing his mother, he accused his wife and father-in-law of trapping him in the job. “Share this video so much that it reaches the Prime Minister. Please help me return to my mother,” he appealed.

However, the Saudi Arabian police rejected his claims as baseless, saying it was found that he had recorded and published the content for the purpose of increasing the number of views on his social media account.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Eastern Province Police said that “with reference to the circulated video content of an expatriate of Indian nationality claiming that he wished to return to his country, the individual was summoned.”

“It was found that he had recorded and published the content for the purpose of increasing the number of views on his social media account. There was no dispute between him and his employer, and the necessary legal measures were taken against him in coordination with the relevant authorities,” it added.

Indian Embassy Launches Probe

Meanwhile, the Indian embassy on Friday said it was trying to locate the person, although it could not take further action as the man’s video does not contain any details about the location, contact number or employer details.

“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,” said the embassy.

The embassy asked Delhi-based lawyer Kalpana Shrivastav, who posted the video and tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to urge immediate intervention, to seek more details about the man. It also reached out to officials in Prayagraj, asking them to contact the man’s family.

The Indian Embassy has urged anyone with verified information, including his family in Prayagraj, to contact them directly.

Interestingly, Indrajit’s mother, Ranju Devi, said the overseas posting was his first and that he was struggling to adjust to the new environment. His wife, Pinky, said the couple have been speaking daily on calls and acknowledged that in moments of anger, he sometimes posts distressing videos on social media.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More

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