Indian 'illegally confined' in Iran: Wife seeks Sonia's help

The wife of one of the two Indians allegedly confined to a guest house in Zanjan city of Iran by a private engineering firm has sought help from Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her husband's release.
Priti Pandya, wife of Sanket Pandya (36), has written a letter to Sonia Gandhi today requesting help for the release of her husband, working as a manager with the Goa-based Power Engineering (India) Pvt Ltd, and Mohammed Hussain Khan (hailing from Haryana) who have been allegedly detained by the engineering firm since over a month following a business dispute with their Goa-based company.
"My husband has been facing lot of hardships as he does not have money and is not allowed to move out of the guest house since the past 39 days," Pandya wrote in the letter.

"The passports of my husband and Khan were taken away by the company under the pretext of stamping them on December 17 last year when they were planning to return to India before expiry of one-month visa period on December 23," she said.
Priti said she, her two minor children and her aged mother-in-law were worried about Sanket and want him to be released at the earliest.
Earlier, Sanket's brother-in-law Dilip Pathak had also said that he (Sanket) was "not allowed to move out of the guest house or contact officials in the Indian embassy in Iran. This is the case of illegal confinement by the company."

However, Pandya is allowed to speak to his family members and officials of Power Engineering (India) over phone, he had said.

Pandya's family members had earlier sought intervention of the PMO and the External Affairs ministry to ensure "release" of the duo and also approached local BJP MP Balkrishna Shukla for help.
Shukla had earlier said, "I have written letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Chief Minister Narendra Modi apprising them about the incident and sought their help."
Shukla also said he was in touch with owners of the Goa-based company.
Sanket has also sent e-mails night to authorities in the UPA government, Indian embassy in Iran and his employer company requesting them for ensuring his release.