A youth from Phillaur who had travelled abroad hoping to reach Italy was allegedly held hostage by a criminal gang in Kenya. The kidnappers demanded USD 70,000, around Rs 58 lakh, for his release and sent a video of his assault to his family on WhatsApp as a threat.According to the family, Rakesh was to be sent to Italy through two agents for a total of Rs 9.50 lakh. The family paid Rs 2 lakh in advance, with the remaining amount to be paid after his arrival in Italy. The agents allegedly told the family that Rakesh would first be sent to Kenya and then flown to Italy.Rakesh’s father, Kashmir Lal, said they contacted two agents for the travel. One of them, Paramjit Singh, is reportedly based in Italy, while his female associate is from nearby Bharsinghpur village. Following the agreement, Rs 2 lakh was allegedly handed over to the woman agent’s brother as advance payment.The agents arranged Rakesh’s journey on August 5. His flight took off from Jaipur, with a layover in Dubai, before reaching Kenya. The family said that soon after arriving in Kenya, Rakesh and two other Punjabi youths travelling with him were allegedly taken hostage by a criminal gang.On August 6, the kidnappers allegedly assaulted Rakesh and recorded a video of the beating, which they sent to his family on WhatsApp. The family was threatened with serious consequences if USD 70,000 was not paid within five hours.Kashmir Lal said a man identifying himself as “Khan Baba” spoke to the family in Punjabi over the phone. The alleged gangster later sent messages in English, claiming that Rakesh was in his custody and linking his release to a financial dispute with agent Paramjit Singh.According to the family, the accused claimed he had a monetary dispute with Paramjit Singh and that Rakesh had been abducted because of the alleged unpaid dues. He reportedly told the family that their son would be released only after Paramjit settled the amount.The family alleged that Paramjit Singh subsequently stopped answering their calls. They approached the authorities and sought action against the agents who arranged Rakesh’s journey.Following intervention by the Central Government, Rakesh has now been rescued, bringing relief to his family. The family has demanded strict action against the agents allegedly responsible for sending the youth via the Kenya route and has sought an investigation into the circumstances leading to his detention.