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Sharjah businessman kidnapped on vacation in Kerala rescued
The Indian expat was abducted by a group of people while on vacation in his hometown in Kerala
- PUBLISHED: Thu 14 Aug 2025, 11:20 AM UPDATED: Thu 14 Aug 2025, 5:44 PM
A UAE-based businessman who was kidnapped from his hometown in the southern Indian state of Kerala, has been dramatically rescued by police.
The news was confirmed in a statement to Khaleej Times by a representative at his Sharjah-based company. “The individual concerned has been successfully rescued by the Kerala Police. The rescue operation was carried out promptly and efficiently, resulting in his safe return without any harm,” wrote Mujeeb Parayangat, e-commerce manager at the company. “The perpetrators — identified as members of a criminal group — have been apprehended and are currently in police custody in Kerala.”
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He added that they were very thankful to Kerala Police and local authorities “for their swift action, which brought this matter to a positive resolution”.
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It was on Tuesday night that the businessman was abducted by a group of people while on a short vacation. CCTV footage showed the man being forced into a SUV by a group of people.
Shocking incident
Dubai-based entrepreneur Riyaz Kilton, chairman of the business network International Promoters Association (IPA), said it was a “shocking incident” and that he was personally invested in the case.
“The kidnapped individual is a member of our association and in the ten-year history of our organization, we have not had an incident like this,” he told Khaleej Times over the phone from India. “I was in touch with the local police and they kept me updated about the significant developments in the case. Yesterday, they arrested four individuals from various part of the country in connection to this kidnapping.”
The victim, who lives in the UAE with his family, had travelled to Kerala alone on a short 10-day vacation when the incident occurred. According to Riyaz, the wife of the abductee flew home as soon as she learnt of the kidnapping. “When the investigative team informed me that he had been found, I immediately called his wife,” he said. “We are still not sure who was behind this or why they did it. I am sure we will be informed as soon as the investigation is complete.”
What we know
According to Malayalam media reports, the victim was rescued from the district of Kollam — more than 300 kilometers away from Malappuram where he was abducted from. Five people are reportedly in custody in relation to the case.
Preliminary reports suggest that the investigation concentrated on two vehicles which was involved in the abduction and this provided the break police needed to find the perpetrators. Media reports also suggest that the man was relatively unharmed in the incident.
On Wednesday, the kidnappers had allegedly placed two WhatsApp calls — one to the business partner of the entrepreneur in the UAE, demanding a ransom of over Dh500,000 and another to the man’s wife instructing her to withdraw the police complaint she had filed. However, the police were reportedly unable to trace these calls and the phone was switched off afterwards.
