'Very disturbing circumstances': India on abduction of two nationals in Kenya

The missing persons include a 48-year-old entertainment industry veteran and Balaji Telefilms’s ex-COO ( Chief Operations Officer) - Zulfiqar Khan.

Updated on: Oct 25, 2022, 06:53:05 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Kunal Gaurav

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India on Monday conveyed its deep concern to Kenyan President William Ruto over the abduction of its two nationals, and urged for an expedited probe into the matter. The ministry of external affairs said in a statement that the specific circumstances surrounding the abduction of the two Indian nationals – Mohammad Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan – and subsequent lack of information is "very disturbing", adding that it expects that the case will be investigated thoroughly.

“We have been in regular touch with the Kenyan Government to locate the whereabouts of the two missing Indian nationals,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said late Monday night.

“Our High Commissioner in Nairobi, Ms. Namgya Khampa, today called on President H.E. Mr. William Samoei Ruto to convey our deep concern and request the expediting of investigations into the matter,” he added.

Bagchi was responding to media queries on the matter.

A close aide of the Kenyan President last week claimed that the two missing Indian nations have been killed by the disbanded DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) unit, according to a media report. The Kenyan government, however, is yet to make an official comment on the report.

Kidwai and Khan, who were part of the Kenya Kwanza digital campaign team, went missing in July along with their taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania.

Bagchi said the Indian High Commission in Kenya is in touch with the family members of the two Indians and assisting them.

“The case is under active investigation by the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of Kenyan Police. We have noted that several people have been taken into custody in this connection including officials of the recently abolished Special Service Unit of the Kenyan Police,” he added.

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