The journey of three relatives from Gujarat who hoped to reach the United States has taken a frightening turn after they went missing in Ethiopia, with their families alleging that they were kidnapped and that a ransom of ₹1 crore was demanded for their release.

The three — Rutvik Jansari from Mehsana, Mamta Chavda from Ahmedabad and Mayuri from Gandhinagar — are related and had left Gujarat on September 20 to travel towards the US through an illegal migration route arranged by intermediaries. Police said they have been untraceable since September 22.

The case has now brought attention to the risks faced by Indians who rely on agents and irregular migration networks to reach the US after failing to secure conventional visas.

According to information shared by the families and police, the three began their journey from Gujarat on September 20. They were assisted by a local agent from Mehsana, who allegedly connected them with another intermediary involved in arranging their onward travel.

The family reportedly agreed to pay between ₹70 lakh and ₹75 lakh per person for the journey. The money was paid in instalments to agents who promised to facilitate their movement towards the US.

The route reportedly took the trio from Gujarat to Rajasthan and Jaipur, before they travelled by air to Abu Dhabi and then continued to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. They stayed there while arrangements for the next stage of the journey were being made.

The families were allegedly told that the three had eventually reached Canada and would proceed towards the US. However, that account is now being questioned as investigators try to establish where the trio actually travelled after reaching Ethiopia.

The last confirmed communication with the missing group came on September 22, when Mamta spoke with her father, Kiritbhai Chauhan.

After that conversation, the three stopped responding to calls and messages. Their families initially hoped that the loss of contact was connected to their travel arrangements, but growing concern led to a missing persons complaint being filed at Langhnaj police station in Mehsana district.

Police have since begun investigating the disappearance and are examining the role of the agents who arranged the journey.

The case has also raised questions about the information given to the families during the journey, particularly claims that the three had moved from Ethiopia towards Canada.

The situation became more alarming when the families allegedly received a call from a person claiming that the three had been kidnapped.

According to the relatives, the caller demanded ₹1 crore for their release. The identity of the caller and the people allegedly holding the three remain unclear.

Rutvik’s grandfather, Kanubhai Jansari, claimed that ₹60 lakh had already been paid to the alleged abductors. Another intermediary involved in the journey also claimed that a ransom had been demanded.

These claims have not yet been independently established by authorities. Police are working to verify the alleged kidnapping, trace the communication and determine the whereabouts of the three missing people.

The families, meanwhile, say they have already spent a large amount of money trying to arrange the journey and are now seeking government assistance to bring their relatives home safely.

Police said Mamta’s husband had travelled to the US on a student visa several months earlier. Mamta had reportedly made several attempts to obtain a US visa but was unsuccessful.

Her family then approached intermediaries who claimed they could arrange an alternative route to the US.

That decision eventually placed Mamta, Rutvik and Mayuri on a complicated international journey involving several countries and multiple agents. The case highlights how people seeking entry into another country through irregular channels can become dependent on intermediaries whose activities may be difficult to verify or monitor.

The large sums involved have also left the families financially strained. Relatives have appealed to Indian authorities to intervene and help locate the missing trio.

Investigators are now trying to reconstruct the trio’s movements from the time they left Gujarat. Police are examining the roles of the agents involved, the travel documents used and the communications that took place after the group reached Ethiopia.

Authorities also need to establish whether the three actually remained in Ethiopia after arriving there, or whether they were moved elsewhere as part of the planned route.

The alleged ransom call could become an important part of the investigation if authorities are able to trace its origin and identify the caller.

At present, the whereabouts and condition of Rutvik, Mamta and Mayuri remain unclear. Their families are waiting for confirmation from authorities while seeking their safe return.