A video of an Indian man who says he hails from Uttar Pradesh, claiming he is being held captive in Saudi Arabia, has gone viral, prompting the Indian embassy in Riyadh to step in and begin efforts to locate him.
The man, speaking in Bhojpuri, identifies himself as a resident of Handia, Pratappur in Prayagraj district. In the video, which was shared by a Delhi-based lawyer on social media, he alleges that his passport has been taken away by one “Kapil”, believed to be his employer, and appeals directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help.
“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 tearfully, with a camel visible in the background. He pleads for the video to be widely shared so that it reaches Indian authorities and the Prime Minister, adding, “Please help me, I will die; I need to go to my mother.”
TNIE could not independently verify the video's authenticity.
Taking note of the viral clip, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia replied that it was trying to locate the individual but faced difficulties due to the absence of details such as location, contact information, or employer details. “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,” the mission posted on X.
The embassy also reached out to officials in Uttar Pradesh, urging them to contact the man’s family. “As the person says that he is from Prayagraj district, @DM_PRAYAGRAJ @Sp_prayag @prayagraj_pol may also reach out to his family and advise them to write to us at cw.riyadh@mea.gov.in,” it added.
However, Saudi Arabia’s Public Security Department dismissed the claims as “baseless,” stating that the video was made to “increase the number of views” on social media. “The claim by an expatriate in a video expressing a desire to return to his home country is baseless."
The video surfaced amid a major policy shift in Saudi Arabia, which recently announced the abolition of the decades-old Kafala (sponsorship) system that tied migrant workers’ employment and residency to their employers. The system, introduced in the 1950s, had long been criticised by rights groups for enabling exploitation and restricting workers’ freedom.
Ending the Kafala system marks a historic move for the Kingdom, aligning with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform agenda. The change is expected to improve the rights and mobility of nearly 13 million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia.
As of now, the identity and whereabouts of the man in the viral video remain unconfirmed, and the Indian embassy has requested anyone with credible information to come forward.
