Malayali expats express safety concerns in Kerala after prominent NRI businessman’s abduction
Jeddah: The abduction of expatriate businessman V. P. Muhammed Ali has caused concern among the Malayali community in Jeddah, where he has been a prominent figure in business and social circles for nearly five decades.
Muhammed Ali, originally from Poongode in Kalikavu, Malappuram, runs several business ventures in Saudi Arabia, other Gulf countries and Kerala. He is the Managing Director of Jeddah National Hospital and the Rayan Medical Group. News of his abduction has unsettled Gulf-based Malayalis, many of whom regard him as an important supporter of the expatriate community.
The incident occurred on Saturday around 6.30 pm while he was travelling to Kochi Nedumbassery Airport to return to Jeddah. As his vehicle reached Arangottukara on the Malappuram–Palakkad district border, an Innova car reportedly intercepted his vehicle. A group of unidentified men allegedly threatened him at gunpoint, forced him out and pushed him into their car before speeding away.
He was taken to a house in Kothakurissi in Palakkad district and kept captive. In the early hours of Sunday, he managed to escape while his abductors were asleep and reached a nearby mosque for help. Local residents took him to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for injuries, including facial wounds.
The motive for the abduction is not yet clear. Muhammed Ali is involved in a case pending before the Supreme Court related to a college in the Nilgiris, and his relatives suspect that individuals connected to the dispute may be behind the kidnapping. Police have intensified the investigation, but the lack of arrests has led to frustration among expatriates.
Malayalis in Jeddah say the incident raises broader concerns about safety in Kerala, particularly for businesspersons and investors. They have urged authorities to ensure the immediate arrest of those responsible and take strong legal action in the case.
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Woman dies after falling off crowded local train in Thane district
Thane (PTI): A 28-year-old woman died after falling off a crowded suburban local train during the morning rush hour in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday, the Government Railway Police (GRP) said.
The incident occurred around 8.10 am at the Badlapur railway station, an official from the Kalyan GRP said.
The victim, Chetana Devrukhkar, was attempting to board a moving train heading for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) when she slipped and fell on the platform, senior inspector Pandhari Kande of the Kalyan GRP said.
He said that the deceased worked with a firm in Thane and was travelling to work.
A case of accidental death has been registered in connection with the incident.
