From Abduction to Freedom: A Bollywood-Inspired Saga of Mother-Son Duo from Assam

Assam's Wahida Begum and her 11-year-old son, Faiz Khan, who recently re-entered India via the Wagah-Attari Border, were handed over to her family after being in the custody of the Punjab police, as directed by the local administration on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Wahida narrated her harrowing, Bollywood-style ordeal before the media, detailing her forceful abduction and the terrifying experiences she endured, including being caught at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

In a petition to the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Wahida recounted how a Pakistani national, Yusuf Ali alias Rehman Zia alias Salim Khan, and Roshan Kumar, a resident of Bhagwanchak, Bihar, India, secretly visited her on November 11, 2022, in Nagaon. They told her that Prasenjit Dutta and Ranjit Dutta had called her to their office in Nagaon.

“On November 11, 2022, at around 10-11 am, the aforementioned Salim Khan and Roshan Kumar came to me and told me that Prasenjit Dutta and Ranjit Dutta had called you to their office (Tiptop Enterprise),” Wahida stated in her petition.

Trusting them, Wahida and her young son Faiz went to the office where, as part of a premeditated scheme, they purportedly coerced her into signing numerous blank and typed documents and withdrawing Rs 5 lakh. According to the petition, Prasenjit Dutta then provided funds to Salim and directed him to either murder Wahida and her son or traffic them into the illicit trade outside India.

According to Wahida's account, she refused to accompany the individuals mentioned above, after which she was subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault.

"They forcefully placed me in a car where Salim Khan brandished a pistol, instructing me to remain quiet as they took me to Guwahati against my will. Members of their unknown gang had already arranged air tickets, and both my son and I were flown to Kolkata airport. I was terrified, fearing that Salim might harm me or my son at any moment, so I complied with his every command," Wahida recounted in her petition.

At around 2:00 am on the night of November 11, 2022, immediately after exiting Kolkata Airport, the mother and son were escorted to an undisclosed hotel, where Salim Khan contacted one of his associates via mobile phone, as claimed by the victim woman in her petition.

"An unidentified individual later visited him at the hotel, delivering money to Salim along with a pistol-like weapon. Using this weapon, Salim threatened me, subjected me to rape, and forcibly separated me from my son. Frightened and desperate to find my son, when I questioned Salim Khan about his whereabouts, he callously directed me to comply with his orders. Without my consent, he took me out of India to Dubai," she detailed in her plea. "Upon arrival at Dubai airport, I found my son Faiz standing with a stranger. Salim then took me to the Zain International Hotel in Dubai, where he assaulted me again. Subsequently, he transported me to Kabul, Afghanistan, and later back to Pakistan via the Chaman border near Kandahar. Confronted by Pakistani Rangers, I was petrified for our lives as Salim threatened to kill us and bury us on the spot if I uttered a word. Fearing for our safety, I remained silent. We were subsequently detained in Quetta Jail in Pakistan."

"On May 29, 2024, both my son and I were repatriated to Indian officials at Wagah Border by the Pakistani government. Upon arrival, I was informed about my mother filing a writ petition (51/2022) in the Supreme Court, requiring my appearance. Today, accompanied by my mother Azifa Khatoon, I visited the Supreme Court, only to find it in summer recess. The actions perpetrated against us are unlawful, and I appeal for justice to be served against those responsible," Wahida expressed in her plea to the Ministry.

Also Read: Assam Woman and Son Returned from Pakistan, Await Transfer to Nagaon