(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

It's been 28 months since anyone has heard from 39-year-old Rakesh Kumar Jangid, a father of three from Jhunjhunu, a city in the north Indian state of Rajasthan.

His family says their lives have been turned upside down since the day he vanished in Dubai in July 2023.

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Rakesh had come to the UAE on June 21, 2023, on a 60-day tourist visa. A skilled marble installer who had previously worked in Afghanistan and Iraq, he hoped to secure a steady job in Dubai. For the first two weeks, he called home every day. Then, on the morning of July 6, his family received a call they can never forget.

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The last call

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Rakesh's elder brother Makkhan Lal recalled the cryptic phone call that, he believes, holds the key to his disappearance.

“He called around 9.50am India time (8.20am UAE time) using a stranger's phone,” Makkhan said.“He sounded shaken and asked if our younger sister was okay. Then he said two men were fighting on the 14th floor where he was working and that one of them had claimed our sister had died.”

Makkhan said he tried to calm his brother down.“I told him our sister was right there, sipping tea beside us. But Rakesh was convinced something terrible had happened. He said he didn't have a local SIM card and was calling from a woman's phone on the ground floor. He asked to speak to his wife, Manoj, to confirm everything.”

When Manoj came on the line, she reassured him that all was well, and the family thought the matter had ended there. But Rakesh never called again.

Days passed with no news. When Rakesh failed to respond to repeated messages, the family contacted the agent who had arranged his Dubai job but got evasive answers. Then, in March 2024, eight months after the disappearance, the agent sent them a voice note claiming Rakesh was in jail and that someone should come to Dubai to help him.

Makhan immediately flew to the UAE.“I searched hospitals, jails, and even mortuaries,” he said.“I met embassy and consulate officials and filed a missing-person complaint at Al Muraqqabat Police Station. But there was no trace of him.”

He was forced to return home abruptly after his younger brother died in his sleep.“Years back we had already lost one of our brothers in a train accident in Mumbai,” Makhan said.“After Rakesh went missing, our younger brother couldn't cope with the stress. He was deeply disturbed and died in his sleep. Our parents are devastated. They've lost two sons, and they live each day praying that Rakesh will somehow return.”

A daughter's plea

In a video shared with Khaleej Times, Rakesh's 18-year-old daughter Khushi is seen clutching a framed photograph of her father as she pleads for help.

Her voice shakes as she describes the circumstances of his disappearance and appeals to anyone who can help trace him.“Please help us find our father,” she says.

Check out the video here:

Her mother Manoj, her two younger siblings, her grandfather, and her uncle Makkhan Lal are also seen in the frame, standing together with folded hands in their home.

The family has appealed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoken to several media outlets, but they say no one has been able to tell them what happened to Rakesh.

Consulate response

The Consulate General of India in Dubai said it has been following up the case with local authorities since August 2023.

In a written communication to the family, the consulate said it had sought information from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government departments across all Emirates, including jails, hospitals, and mortuaries. It added that Rakesh's visa had expired on August 19, 2023, and that efforts to trace him were ongoing.

In response to a Khaleej Times query last week, a consulate spokesperson said that, according to the latest information from local authorities, Rakesh is believed to be inside the UAE, and no criminal case is registered against him. A missing report remains on file at Al Muraqqabat Police Station.

Back in Jhunjhunu, the Jangid household is gripped by uncertainty. Rakesh's ageing parents sit by the gate each day, hoping for some word from their son.

“We just want to know the truth,” Makhan said.“If he's alive, let us talk to him. If not, at least tell us what happened so our parents can have peace.”

Nearly two and a half years on, the family holds on to hope that the man who came to Dubai looking for work will one day walk back through their door.

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