The men, all of whom are from the northern state of Punjab, had a stopover in Iran on 1 May, and were on their way to Australia, where they were promised lucrative jobs by a local travel agent.

Their families allege that they were kidnapped upon their arrival by unknown men, who are now demanding a ransom of 5m rupees ($63,000; £47,000). On Thursday, the Iranian Embassy said on X that it was keeping Indian authorities informed of all developments "within the judicial system" and warned about the dangers of taking illegal immigration routes. "Given the nature of this incident, Indian citizens are strongly advised not to be deceived by the promises of unauthorised individuals or illegal Indian agencies offering travel to other countries," it said. The statement came a day after the Indian embassy in Iran said that it had "strongly taken up this matter with Iranian authorities" and requested that the missing Indians be "urgently traced and their safety ensured".

Many Indians, particularly from Punjab, travel to developed countries in search of job opportunities and a better life. Some fall victim to scams run by travel agents, who charge exorbitant fees and send them through illegal or unsafe routes, often without proper documentation. Gurdeep Kaur recounted the events that led to her 23-year-old son Amritpal Singh going missing to BBC Punjabi. (BBC)