Friend Kidnapped!

An Indian friend of ours has been kidnapped in Andhra Pradesh and taken to Goa. He is college-aged and has been forced to work in a hotel.

Both the kid and the kidnappers have been in contact with the orphanage director whom he lived and worked with. Said director is now traveling with a friend and policeman to attempt to secure his release.

Of course, they want a lot of momey, and the orphanage is dirt poor. Anyone on IM have any experience dealing with these types of people?

astarrh, they aren't asking you for money, are they? Do not send it, if they are.

This is a college-aged person? So a grown man? How are they keeping him there? Is there a reason he can't walk away from the situation?

Seriously? With respect, this is a matter for the police, not an internet forum. You say the police are engaged. They will have relevant experience.

They are asking for money.. Hopefully the local police are willing to get involved.. Just wondering if anyone out there has dealt with this before.

In Andhra they could get in touch with:

http://www.prajwalaindia.com/home.html

An anti-trafficking NGO, they deal with stuff like this regularly!

An absolutely reasonable first line of query, and the OP did not even bother to answer these...strange.

So everyone knows who the people are and the location ...a very bad attempt at kidnapping I would say! Seems like a well laid out plan to extract money.

It seems odd Astarrh! As the hotel where this boy is kept is known, why not get the local police to immediately go there and rescue the victim? Why does the orphanage manager and a policeman need to travel all the way from Andhra Pradesh to Goa?

The overwhelmingly corrupt and inefficient Goan police will probably want more money than the "kidnappers" and AP delegation put together.

College age in India does not necessarily mean a mature adult.

astarrh, it seems that people have not experienced this type of situation before.

I'm sorry, but I think that your friend is trying to get money from you. If I'm correct, this wouldn't be the first time I've heard of someone in India who made a foreign friend and then asked them for money through e-mail once their friend gets back home.

Please do not send any money. I'm not going to try to guess how mature your friend is, but if he is college aged, he knows how to buy a bus or train ticket. He can borrow money from other workers in the hotel or even beg for ticket money if he has to. Unless there is some way he is being physically held against his will, he can get out if he wants to. He is not a child who would not know what to do.

Yep, Daisy, I agree. Something smells very fishy here...

I've heard of such cases before by folks who set up shop for the money.

Don't think Goans do that sort of thing.
You need to contact the police.
The kid (youth) might be very intimidated.

The post doesn't indicate whether or not he is Goan. In fact, if his story is true, he must not be from Goa.

But I'm in agreement, this story is not adding up.

Sorry for the lack of detail. I was purposefully vague, for privacy concerns and because I didn't have all the information yet myself.

It all happened really fast. The boy was drugged, beaten and moved to another state. He is about 16 years old.

They have paid the $6000 ransom, and he is back home now.

I know this sounds like a scam, but it isn't the case here. We've been visiting this orphanage for several years now. We have watched kids be transformed at this place, have endured struggles and have stood by the director through some tough times. I've gone into business with one of the workers there. The orphanage director has spent time with us in the United States. We have the highest confidence in what he is doing there.

Right now he is attempting legal action, but we aren't holding out hope. From our research, this thing is rather common there. Unfortunately when it comes to orphan children, it is still hard to get attention from the legal system. We will try, though.

Thanks everyone for your attention. If anyone has any advice, we are all ears. The good news is that the boy is confirmed safe and is undergoing medical evaluation in Goa. He will be on his way home soon, and will be switching schools to ensure his safety. We will be taking other measures to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.

Why did they pay the ransom? What was the power the kidnappers had over the kid, to prevent him from simply walking out to his friends and supporters outside? India is a free country and a democracy -- not perfect, sure, but but an 18 year old male who is not disabled, I can't picture a story where he'd be held captive and somebody would pay $6000 ransom, without involving the police and media. Your story is fishy. That ransom is insanely high, more than three years salary if he was working in a hotel. Are they asking you to help pay for that ransom? Is somebody trying to get money out of you?

Common where?! Goa? Or which state? I haven't heard of adult males being drugged, beaten, enslaved in a hotel, and ransomed for 3 lakh rupees before!

It's great to hear the boy is free and safe. Still, as NonIndianResident says, the whole event sounds suspicious...