Nine people in Karnataka’s Mysuru district have been arrested in an African country for allegedly operating an Ayurvedic oil company without getting the necessary legal permissions from local authorities, police said. The families of those arrested are in distress, and the Karnataka government and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are calling for urgent diplomatic intervention.
The arrested people are all residents of Pakshirajapura village in Hunsur taluk, Mysuru district. They had come to the African country more than two months ago to market and sell Ayurvedic oil products. But local authorities found that the group was operating without licenses and approval from the relevant authorities to do so in the country, the report said.
Following the investigation, local police detained all nine persons on charges of unauthorized business operations.
Among those arrested are former Gram Panchayat President Nironi, along with Prabhudeva, Girish, Shahjahan, Shanthi, and four others from the same village.
The incident has created anxiety among families of the detainees who are now seeking immediate help from both the state and central governments. It was the concern of relatives that they approached Hunsur MLA H.P. Manjunath to intervene and help to bring their family members back to India.
When he learned about the matter, H.P. Manjunath brought it to the attention of Karnataka Minister Dr. Yathindra and urged the government to take up the matter with the appropriate authorities.
The families have appealed for diplomatic intervention through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in the African country. They have asked the government to engage with local officials to secure the release of the detained individuals and bring them back to India at the earliest.
Though details about the exact African country and the specific legal charges have not yet been formally disclosed, sources say the arrests are linked to violations of local commercial and regulatory laws governing foreign businesses.
A lot of Indian citizens going abroad for work or business must obtain all the required permits, business licenses, and regulatory approvals to do business. Failure to comply with local laws might mean legal action, detention, and deportation for a business.
The Indian diplomatic mission should be in continuous contact to monitor the legal processes and to assist in the consular care of the detained Indian citizens. As the case goes on, the status of the detained Indian citizens and their possible release will be kept in mind.
