Nagpur, March 8 The Maharashtra State Minorities Commission has appealed for consular assistance for a doctor and a businessman from Nagpur who are being held in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where they were performing Umrah.
Following information from the families of the two individuals, Maharashtra State Minorities Commission Chairperson Pyare Khan wrote to the Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
In their letter to the commission, the families claimed that the two were detained after being falsely accused of involvement in brokerage activities without a company license.
"According to information received from the families of Abdul Asim Khan and Dr. Yahya Hunani, both from Nagpur, the two arrived in Jeddah on March 3 and traveled to Makkah for Umrah. On March 4, while praying at Masjid Al-Haram, they reportedly approached individuals in civilian clothes and were subsequently taken into custody due to a misunderstanding during an interaction conducted only in Arabic, which they do not understand," the commission chairperson said in the letter.
The letter also stated that the two individuals are currently being held at the Al Shumaisi detention facility and that deportation proceedings may have been initiated.
"The families of the two Indian nationals have expressed serious concern about the circumstances of their detention and the allegations made against them. The Maharashtra State Minorities Commission has requested the embassy to provide urgent consular assistance, verify their status and well-being, and ensure that they receive due process and fair representation," the letter said.
