Home / Crime and Justice / Diamond Tycoon Freed in Mali After Euro 4M Ransom
Diamond Tycoon Freed in Mali After Euro 4M Ransom
27 Jul
Summary
- An Indian-origin diamond businessman was released after a Euro 4 million ransom payment.
- The businessman was allegedly kidnapped in Mali three months ago and recently freed.
- His US-based family negotiated the ransom amount down before his release.
A 75-year-old Indian-origin diamond merchant, Dhiru Ramani, has been released in Mali after his family paid a substantial Euro 4 million ransom. Ramani was allegedly abducted in April while in the West African country, where he had recently acquired a gold mine and had been residing.
His family, based in the United States, managed the entire negotiation process independently, reportedly reducing the initial demand of around ₹100 crore. The ransom payment secured his release last week in Mali.
Ramani, originally from Gujarat's Amreli district and associated with Surat's diamond trade since the 1980s, is currently cooperating with local Malian authorities who are questioning him about his release and the circumstances surrounding his kidnapping.
In April, the Indian Embassy in Bamako had issued a general security advisory for Indian nationals in Mali due to heightened security concerns, urging vigilance and caution.
