- The Consulate General of India confirmed ongoing coordination with UAE authorities
- The community response has been strong, with many expressing support after the story became public
A Dubai-based real estate entrepreneur has stepped forward with a Dh25,000 reward to help trace Rakesh Kumar Jangid, a 39-year-old Indian worker who has been missing in the UAE for more than two years. The gesture by Kalpesh Kinariwala, founder and chairman of Pantheon Developers, has brought renewed hope to a family in Rajasthan that has been living in uncertainty since July 2023.
Kinariwala said he was moved after reading about the family’s prolonged struggle. Having lost his own father at a young age, he expressed empathy for Rakesh’s children and parents who have spent years without answers. His team has coordinated with the Consulate General of India in Dubai to ensure that the reward aligns with ongoing investigations by local authorities. Any credible lead offered by the public will be shared immediately with the police.
Rakesh came to Dubai on a 60-day tourist visa hoping to secure a job. He maintained regular contact with his family until July 6, when he made a distressed phone call describing a violent altercation at an under-construction site in Jebel Ali. According to his brother Makhan Lal, Rakesh sounded frightened and confused. That was the last time the family heard from him.
The family hopes the newly announced reward will prompt someone with information—no matter how small—to step forward
Attempts to trace him through the recruitment agent produced inconsistent information. Months later, the agent sent a voice message claiming that Rakesh was in jail and requested that a family member travel to Dubai. Makhan travelled shortly after, filing a missing-person report and searching hospitals and detention centres, but found no trace.
Rakesh’s disappearance has taken a heavy toll on the family, who had already lost another brother in a previous accident. Their youngest sibling became emotionally distressed after the disappearance and died in his sleep, compounding the family’s grief. The parents, now older and frail, continue to wait for any news about their missing son.
The Consulate General of India confirmed ongoing coordination with UAE authorities. The community response has been strong, with many expressing support after the story became public. The family hopes the newly announced reward will prompt someone with information—no matter how small—to step forward.
Makhan said the gesture from Kinariwala has restored some hope: “It makes us feel less alone. We just want to know what happened to Rakesh.”
