Wife of Indian 'illegally confined' in Iran to seek Sonia Gandhi's help

The wife of one of the two Indians who were allegedly confined in a guest house in Iran's Zanjan city by a private firm has decided to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders to seek help in securing their return to India.

Vadodara resident Sanket Pandya (36) and Mohammed Hussain Khan (from Haryana), working with an India-based private firm, had been allegedly detained and their passports taken away by the engineering firm in December last year following a business dispute with their Goa-based company.

Later, officials of Indian embassy in Tehran had got in touch with both the Indians and made arrangements to bring them to the Iranian capital. Both were then shifted to a hotel in Tehran city but have not been able to return to India.

Sanket's wife Priti Pandya told PTI over phone today that she has reached Delhi to meet senior Congress leaders to help in securing the safe release of both the Indians.

She said till date their passports have not been returned to them.

"I do not understand as to why my husband is kept in illegal confinement in Iran when he has not committed any crime or any illegal activity there," she said, adding that Sanket and Khan had gone to Iran after their employer company sent them for a power-related project in Zanjhan.

"How could Pandya and Khan be held responsible for any business dispute between both these India and Iran based companies? It is for both the companies to resolve their disputes for which employees cannot be held responsible," she said.

Priti had last month written a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking help in the matter and had also met senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and given all details to take up the issue with the External Affairs Ministry.

The Tehran-based Indian embassy had prepared required travel documents for both of them and sent it to Iran embassy for stamping, after grant of visa for their journey back to India.

However, the Iranian authorities have been refusing to stamp their travel documents under pressure from the Iran-based company, Priti alleged.