By Press Trust of India: A young couple from Naroda in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city who planned to enter the United States of America illegally has been held hostage in Iran by a Pakistani agent who has sought money for their release, a police official said here on Monday.

An FIR in this regard is being lodged at Krushnanagar Police Station of Naroda area and the Ahmedabad city crime branch has started investigation, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Chaitanya Mandlik.

Since the incident has taken place outside the country, crime branch will approach the Indian Embassy in Iran with all details to secure the release of the couple identified as Pankaj Patel and his wife Nisha Patel, both 29, the DCP informed.

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According to the details shared with Krushnanagar police by the couple’s family, the two wanted to enter the US illegally and came in contact with a Hyderabad-based agent who arranged their air tickets.

As per the agent’s plan, the couple was supposed to land at Tehran in Iran and then proceed further as per instructions, police said.

However, after they landed at Tehran airport a few days back, a Pakistani agent took them to a hotel and held them hostage for ransom, officials said.

The Pakistani agent and his accomplices thrashed Pankaj Patel and sent a video to his kin and sought a huge amount of money to release the couple, they added.

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