New Delhi in touch with Iranian authorities to trace 3 missing Indians

Jaiswal said there had been other instances of Indian nationals reported missing in Iran though they had subsequently returned to the country.

Published on: May 30, 2025, 05:12:01 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

New Delhi: India is in touch with Iran in connection with the case of three Indian nationals reported missing in that country, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday.

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (via PTI/@MEAIndia)

The three men were reported as missing by their relatives after travelling to Iran earlier this month. Reports have suggested that the men had been sent to Iran by people allegedly involved in human trafficking.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing that efforts are underway to trace the Indian nationals.

“The three Indian nationals who had landed there some time back, they are missing. We are in touch with Iranian authorities for locating them, for their safety and security and for their eventual return home...We are receiving good cooperation from the Iranian side and we are also in touch with the families,” he said.

Jaiswal noted there had been other instances of Indian nationals reported missing in Iran though they had subsequently returned to the country. “Sometimes these things happen. As and when such things happen, we take up these issues seriously through our embassy, and we see that our nationals are provided for, and we take care of their welfare, their safety and security,” he said.

The Iranian embassy in New Delhi said in a social media post that the case of the three Indian nationals is being followed up by the consular affairs department of Iran’s foreign ministry in coordination with relevant judicial authorities.

The Indian embassy in Tehran is “being kept informed of the proceedings within the judicial system” of Iran. “Given the nature of this incident, Indian citizens are strongly advised not to be deceived by the promises of unauthorised individuals or illegal Indian agencies offering travel to other countries,” the embassy said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.