Saudi police deny Indian expat's claim in viral video of being stranded

Riyadh: Saudi police have denied the claims made by an Indian expatriate in a viral video alleging that he was stranded and mistreated in the Kingdom.

The man, identified as 25-year-old Ankit Bharti, also known as Indrajit, from Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh (UP), recently appeared in the clip speaking in Bhojpuri with camels in the background.

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“I came to Saudi Arabia. Kapil has my passport. I told him I need to go home, but he is threatening to kill me,” he said in the video, appealing to viewers to share it widely so that it “reaches the India’s Prime Minister”.

Bharti said he had travelled to Riyadh on October 1 after being persuaded by his wife and father-in-law to take up a job. He claimed that instead of the promised employment, he was left isolated and threatened when he asked to return home.

The video quickly went viral on social media, drawing concern and an official response from the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.

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“The Embassy has been trying to locate the person. No further action can be taken as the video does not contain any details about the location, province, or employer,” the Embassy said on X. It also urged authorities in Prayagraj to contact Bharti’s family for more information that could assist in tracing him.

The video was originally shared by Delhi-based lawyer Kalpana Shrivastav, who tagged India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting immediate action.

माननीय विदेश मंत्री @DrSJaishankar जी तत्काल संज्ञान मे ले, प्रयागराज हंडिया प्रतापपुर का रहने वाला फंसा सऊदी अरब मे...

पार्ट 1 सभी भाई बहन इस वीडियो को शेयर करें ताकि इसकी सहायता हो पाए 🙏 pic.twitter.com/5op97otITq

— कल्पना श्रीवास्तव 🇮🇳 (@Lawyer_Kalpana) October 23, 2025

Following an inquiry, the Eastern Province Police summoned the individual and concluded that the video had been recorded and published only to increase views on his social media account.

“The claim by an expat expressing his desire to return to his country has no validity. It was documented and posted to increase the number of views on his account on one of the social media platforms,” Saudi Public Security said in a post on X.

“There is no dispute with the employer, and legal measures have been taken against him in coordination with the relevant authorities,” it added.

📹 شرطة المنطقة الشرقية توضح:
ادعاء وافد في محتوى مرئي برغبته في العودة إلى بلده لا صحة له، وتم توثيقه ونشره لغرض زيادة عدد المشاهدات في حسابه بأحد مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي. pic.twitter.com/BJJ2p9C4We

— الأمن العام (@security_gov) October 24, 2025

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