SURAT: An Indian-origin diamond businessman who was allegedly kidnapped in Mali in April has been released after his family reportedly paid a ransom of €4 million (around Rs 44 crore).The abductors had initially demanded nearly Rs 100 crore, but the family of 75-year-old diamond merchant Dhiru Ramani negotiated the amount before securing his release, news agency PTI reported.A Surat-based source familiar with the developments said Ramani’s family, which is based in the United States, paid the €4 million ransom last week to secure his release in the West African nation.Ramani, who hails from Gujarat’s Amreli district and has longstanding links with Surat’s diamond industry, remains in Mali, where local authorities are questioning him following his release, the source said.The businessman was allegedly abducted around three months ago while living in Mali, where he had recently acquired a gold mine.“He has been released, but he is still in Mali. The local police are questioning him about his release and the circumstances surrounding it,” the source said.According to the source, Ramani’s US-based family independently handled the negotiations with the abductors, and no Indian government agency was involved in the process, PTI reported.Originally from Dhar village in Amreli district, Ramani entered the diamond business around 1980 before later moving to the United States, where his family is engaged in the international diamond trade.Around the time of the alleged abduction in April, the Indian Embassy in Bamako, Mali’s capital, issued a general advisory asking Indian nationals in the country to remain vigilant in view of the deteriorating security situation.“Due to recent security developments and reported attacks in Kati and other parts of Mali, the Embassy of India in Bamako urges all Indian nationals residing in Mali to remain highly vigilant, exercise utmost caution, stay indoors, and strictly follow the instructions issued by the Malian authorities from time to time,” the advisory dated April 25 said.The advisory did not mention any specific incident or individual.(With agency inputs)
