TV9 Bharatvarsh journalist Richa Hussain reportedly lost contact with her family after travelling from India for the pilgrimage; circumstances surrounding her detention remain unclear
Indian journalist Richa Hussain, associated with Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh, has reportedly been detained by Saudi authorities while travelling in the Kingdom for Umrah, according to media reports and her family.
Hussain, who is from Jaipur, travelled from New Delhi to Saudi Arabia on September 28 to perform the pilgrimage. She completed her Umrah in Makkah and was expected to travel to Madinah, according to her family.
Her sister, Kainat Jafri, said Hussain last contacted a friend between 6pm and 7pm Indian time on September 30. During the conversation, she reportedly said that she was being detained and asked the friend to inform her family. Contact with her was subsequently lost.
The precise circumstances of the reported detention have not been established. There has been no publicly available official explanation from Saudi authorities regarding the reason for her detention, her legal status or whether any formal case has been registered against her.
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Reports said Hussain had shared photographs and videos from Makkah during her pilgrimage before communication stopped
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Her professional profile lists previous work with organisations including Zee News, NDTV and First India News before joining TV9 Bharatvarsh
The reported case comes amid strict security regulations governing conduct at Saudi Arabia’s two holy mosques. Authorities have previously taken action against individuals over political slogans, banners and other activities considered inappropriate at the religious sites.
As of the latest reports, Hussain’s family was seeking information about her whereabouts and status. Further details are expected if Saudi authorities or Indian diplomatic officials issue an official statement.
