3 Indians missing in Iran; India raises issue with Tehran

India has raised with Iran the curious case of three nationals who have gone missing from Tehran since December and sought their whereabouts as well as their safety.

Concerns have mounted as the three Indian nationals have been missing in Iran over the past month, prompting their families to seek immediate intervention from Indian authorities, ET has learnt.

Yogesh Panchal and Mohammad Sadeeque, who travelled to Iran in December 2024 under the 15-day visa waiver programme for business purposes, were last known to be staying in a hostel in Tehran's Baherestan area.


Their families lost contact with them shortly after their arrival and fear they may have been detained by Iranian security forces.

The third individual, Sumeet Sud, who travelled to Iran in January, has been untraceable since the first week of the month.

Distressed families have approached MEA, urging swift action to ensure the safety and repatriation of their kin, sources informed. External affairs minister S Jaishankar raised the issue during a meeting with Iranian deputy foreign minister Majid Ravanchi, who visited New Delhi in early January.

According to sources, MEA and the Indian embassy in Tehran have approached Iranian authorities and requested for urgent measures to locate the missing nationals. Iran launched its visa waiver scheme last year to promote tourism, given the existing goodwill between the two sides.