A 75-year-old Indian-origin diamond merchant who was abducted in Mali has been freed after nearly three months, after his family agreed to pay a ransom of about Rs 44 crore.
The businessman, identified as Ramani from Gujarat’s Thar region, has been in the diamond trade since the 1980s and later moved with his family to the United States. He has been involved in international diamond business and had recently purchased a gold mine in Mali’s capital, Bamako.
According to reports, he was kidnapped in April while staying in Bamako by a local abduction gang. The kidnappers initially demanded Rs 100 crore for his release, prompting the family to begin negotiations with the group with assistance from local police.
After the family agreed to pay Rs 44 crore, he was released recently. However, reports also said he is still being kept in Mali and that the country’s police are questioning him.
