India intensifies diplomatic pressure on Kenya over abduction of 2 Indians

New Delhi: India on Monday described as "very disturbing" the circumstances surrounding the abduction of two Indians in Kenya and subsequent lack of information in the case.

Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa, met Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and requested him for expediting the investigation into the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

A close aide of the Kenyan President last week claimed the two missing Indians, Mohammad Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, have been killed by the disbanded DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) unit, according to a media report.

It is learnt that the Kenyan government has not said anything officially on the report.

Kidwai and Khan, who were part of the Kenya Kwanza digital campaign team, went missing alongside taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania from Mombasa Road in July.

"We have been in regular touch with the Kenyan government to locate the whereabouts of the two missing Indian nationals, Mohammad Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Monday night.

"Our High Commissioner in Nairobi, Namgya Khampa, today called on President William Samoei Ruto to convey our deep concern and request the expediting of investigations into the matter," he said.

Bagchi was responding to media queries on the matter.

He said the High Commissioner of Kenya in New Delhi was also called into the ministry on Sunday to convey India's concerns in the matter.

"The specific circumstances surrounding the abduction and subsequent lack of information is very disturbing. We expect that the case will be investigated thoroughly," Bagchi said.

He said the Indian High Commission in Kenya is in touch with the family members of the two Indians and assisting them.

"The case is under active investigation by the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of Kenyan Police. We have noted that several people have been taken into custody in this connection, including officials of the recently abolished Special Service Unit of the Kenyan Police," Bagchi added.

He said the MEA continues to monitor all developments related to this case.

According to the Kenyan newspaper Nation, the four officers – a chief inspector, a sergeant and a corporal – had their official cars detained at Capitol Hill police station, Nairobi, when a review of CCTV footage from the roads near the hotel the two Indians were kidnapped captured them.

 

The newspaper said a team of at least 100 police officers drawn from several stations had been combing the forest under the command of the IAU, which took over the investigations on September 18.