Indian-Origin Diamond merchant freed in Mali after 4 million Euro ransom paid

An Indian-origin diamond businessman allegedly abducted in Mali in April has been released after his family paid a ransom of Euro 4 million (nearly Rs 44 crore), sources told PTI.

The abductors had initially demanded around Rs 100 crore, but the family of 75-year-old diamond merchant Dhiru Ramani, based in the U.S., negotiated the amount down before securing his release last week, a Surat-based source familiar with the developments said.

Ramani remains in Mali, where local authorities are questioning him about his release and the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction, the source said.

Originally from Dhar village in Gujarat's Amreli district, Ramani has been associated with the diamond trade in Surat since around 1980. He later moved to the U.S., where his family is involved in the international diamond business.

The businessman had been living in Mali after recently acquiring a gold mine there when he was allegedly abducted.

The negotiations were handled by his U.S.-based family, and no Indian government agency was involved in the process, according to the source.

Around the time of the alleged abduction, the Indian Embassy in Bamako issued a security advisory urging Indian nationals in Mali to remain vigilant following reports of attacks in Kati and other parts of the country.

The April 25 advisory, however, did not refer to any specific incident or individual.