‘I’m going to the airport, Jai Mata Di’: Jharkhand man goes missing in Saudi Arabia after texting family

Sahil said that on January 8, Chandeshar informed the family that he was suffering from a cold and cough. He told them that the company had asked him to return to India at his own expense, promising to reimburse the ticket amount after Eid. Following this, the family booked his return ticket for January 10, from Jeddah to Ahmedabad on an IndiGo flight with onward train travel planned to Varanasi and Dhanbad.

“At around 3.30 pm on January 10, my maternal uncle sent us his last message saying he was leaving for the airport. He wrote, ‘I’m going to the airport, Jai Mata Di.’ After that, his phone was switched off. He disappeared between his accommodation and the airport,” Sahil Kumar said.

The family initially assumed that Chandeshar may not have had internet access at the airport. They tracked the flight status through the night and, after confirming that the flight landed in Ahmedabad, recharged his mobile number. However, his phone remained unreachable, with WhatsApp showing only a single tick, Sahil said.

The family later contacted IndiGo Airlines, providing the PNR and registered contact details. “The airline told us that he did not check in for the flight, which means he never boarded the plane,” Sahil said, adding that the family believes Chandeshar left his room for the airport but never reached there.

Sahil said attempts to seek clarity from the employer yielded little response. “The company and its staff said they had not arranged the ticket or transport and that they did not know where he went,” he said.

Following the disappearance, the family approached multiple authorities, including Dhanbad MP Dhulu Mahato, Jharia MLA Ragini Singh, and the Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner, who forwarded the matter to the Jharkhand Labour Department. The case was subsequently taken up by the State Migrant Control Room and escalated to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Shikha Lakra, an official at the State Migrant Control Room, said the Consulate General of India in Jeddah had conducted inquiries, including checks at detention centres and jails, but Chandeshar Kumar was not found to be lodged in any prison.

Lakra said that in a written response shared with them, the Indian Embassy said the matter had been taken up with the Saudi authorities, but no response has been received so far.

In a written response shared with state authorities, the Indian Embassy said: “The matter was immediately taken up with the concerned jail authorities by the Consulate General of India, Jeddah. As per the information received, Mr Kumar is not lodged in any jail. The matter has further been taken up with the Saudi authorities, requesting them to ascertain the whereabouts of Mr Kumar. However, no response has been received from the local authorities so far.”

Lakra said the embassy assured the family that any information on the matter would be promptly conveyed to them.

Chandeshar’s family includes his elderly mother, three unmarried sisters, and an estranged wife, with whom he has a daughter.

Nearly a month after he went missing, the family said they received no information about his disappearance and that they have appealed to the government for its urgent intervention.