Efforts on for safe return of Jharkhand techie held hostage in Myanmar

The Indian Embassy in Myanmar is making efforts for the rescue and 'safe repatriation' of a Dhanbad resident allegedly held hostage by cyber frauds in Myawaddy town in Myanmar, officials said.

Team leader of the State Migrant Control Room (Jharkhand Labour department), Shikha Lakra, told PTI on Wednesday that Mohammed Shahzeb Rahman's mother Nishat Afroz had lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister's office on November 12 and acting on the directive of the CMO, they had immediately started the process to rescue the youth.

''Nishat Afroz, a resident of Azadnagar under Bhuli Police Station in Dhanbad district, had complained that her 26-year-old son, who had done mechanical engineering, was being held hostage by operators of a cyber-fraud network in Myawaddy in Myanmar. She also alleged her son was being tortured for money and that they had already sent over Rs 2 lakh. The operators are demanding more money and threatening to kill him and sell his organs,'' said Lakra.

The official further said that, as per the complaint, Mohammed Shahzeb Rahman, who was working in Bengaluru in an IT firm, was lured under the pretext of lucrative overseas employment and taken out of India in December 2024.

''He later contacted his mother through a new WhatsApp number, but was unable to disclose his whereabouts. On October 9, he sent a message via Telegram stating that he was being held hostage and tortured by unknown individuals in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar and that a ransom of Rs 2,20,000 had been demanded for his release. Her mother claimed that they had already sent over Rs 4.4 lakh on the number sent by the operator,'' said Lakra.

''We got in touch with the Protector of Emigrants, Ranchi and the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for immediate action. The Indian Embassy officials on Monday informed us that the issue had been taken up with the concerned Myanmar authorities on a priority basis.

''The situation is complex as the Myawaddy area is not under the effective control of the local administration. Her mother on Monday informed that her son has been shifted to Yatai New City. We have intimated the developments to Embassy officials, and efforts are being made to expedite the rescue operation,'' added Lakra.

Afroz said Shahzeb is her only child.

''My husband left long ago. Shahzeb is my only child. He took care of me, worked any job he could find, and supported my medicines. If something happens to him, I have no one left in this world,'' she told PTI.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)