Vadodara: A Gujarat-based couple has claimed their 28-year-old son has been held allegedly captive for five months in Thailand, leading police to launch a probe, an official said on Wednesday.Nagarbhai Ranpara and his wife Rita, who are based in Vadodara, claimed to have lost contact with their son Tushar five months back and suspect he has been held captive in Thailand by agents who persuaded him to move to the Southeast Asian country nearly a year ago.The couple submitted an application to the police two days ago and sought their help to trace their son and bring him back home, news agency PTI reported.In view of the seriousness of the matter, the probe has been handed over to the Vadodara city crime branch, said Assistant Commissioner of Police
('G' division), GB Bambhaniya, according to PTI."As per the application submitted by Tushar's parents, he went to Dubai in April last year to work in a private firm with the help of two local immigration agents. Then, a Dubai-based agent named Abhishek Kumar sent him to Thailand in September 2024. The couple claimed Tushar stopped communicating with them five months ago," Bambhaniya told PTI."The couple suspects their son has been held captive and being forced to work without his consent. The probe has been handed over to the crime branch to trace Tushar and contact him as soon as possible," stated the ACP.Ranpara appealed to Gujarat and central governments to trace his son and bring him home."He remained in contact via video and voice calls after reaching Thailand last year. But, his calls have stopped coming for the last five months. We suspect agents involved in sending him to Thailand took away his phone and held him captive. We appeal to the state government and the Centre to bring back our son," he told reporters.
