12 hours ago
The man from Uttar Pradesh claimed that he was being held against his will in Saudi Arabia. The video emerged at a time when Saudi Arabia has decided to scrap the Kafala system.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 25, 2025 14:06 IST
A heart-wrenching video of a man from Uttar Pradesh claiming that he was being held against his will has gone viral on social media, prompting the Indian embassy to take note and launch a search for him.
The video has emerged at a time when Saudi Arabia has decided to scrap the decades-old Kafala system, where the employer controlled the visas of foreign workers. Critics had compared the system to modern-day slavery.
In the video, shared by a Delhi-based lawyer, the man, speaking in Bhojpuri, claims that his passport was being withheld by one Kapil, possibly his employer, and appeals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help. India Today could not confirm the authenticity of the video.
"External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, please take immediate cognisance. A resident of Handia, Pratappur in Prayagraj, is stranded in Saudi Arabia," the lawyer tweeted along with the video.
In the video, the man appears visibly distressed and is seen breaking down. A camel is visible in the background as the man records the video.
"My village is in Allahabad... I came to Saudi Arabia. Kapil has my passport. I told him I need to go home, but he is threatening to kill me," the man says, his voice trembling.
In an emotional plea, he asks for the video to be shared as much as possible so that it gets the attention of PM Modi. He also expresses a desire to see his mother.
"Share this video, share it so much that, with your support from India, I can get help and come back to India. If you are from Muslim, Hindu or anyone – brother, wherever you are – please help. Please help me, I will die. I need to go to my mother... Share this video so much that it should reach up to the Prime Minister," the man further says.
INDIAN EMBASSY REACTS
As the video garnered widespread attention, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said it was trying to locate the person.
"The embassy has been trying to locate the person. No further action can be taken as the video does not contain any details about the location/province in Saudi Arabia, or contact number or employer details," it tweeted.
However, the Saudi security department called the claims by the person baseless, saying that it was published with the intent of increasing viewership.
"Eastern Region Police clarifies: The claim by an expatriate in a video expressing a desire to return to his home country is baseless. It was documented and published for the purpose of increasing the number of views of his account on one of the social media platforms," the post said.
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Published By:
Abhishek De
Published On:
Oct 25, 2025
