A 19-year-old student from Jordan studying at a private college in Bengaluru alleged that he was abducted and robbed by an armed gang posing as officials of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) on Tuesday.

The victim, Abdul Kareem, also alleged that the police refused to register his complaint when he approached the station, citing a network issue in the computer system.

In a video statement that later went viral, Kareem claimed that a group of men posing as FRRO officials arrived at his residence on the pretext of conducting a search operation on Tuesday morning. According to him, the accused ransacked the house, damaged his newly purchased mobile phone, and took away ₹1.37 lakh in cash that he had kept aside to pay his college fees.

Kareem alleged that the accused also seized his scooter and forcibly took him in a car under the guise of an inquiry. He claimed he was taken to Yelahanka, where he was allegedly handed over to another group. The gang later brought him back home and again searched the house for valuables in the evening.

“They threatened me with a knife to my neck,” Kareem said in the video, adding that the accused warned him against approaching the police.

Kareem further claimed that when he approached the police station to file a complaint, officers turned him away, stating that they could not register the complaint due to a network issue. “I came to study in Bengaluru because it is considered safe, but I am not getting help from the police when I am in distress,” he said, adding that he had approached the Jordanian embassy seeking assistance.

However, a senior police officer denied the allegations and said the police were attempting to trace Kareem to question him regarding the incident. According to the officer, Kareem had visited the station earlier but left abruptly when questioned as part of routine procedure.

“We suspect there may have been a financial dispute between him and the accused that led to the incident. Once we locate him, we will register a complaint and initiate an investigation,” the officer said.

City-based advocate Owaiz Hussain, who accompanied Kareem to the police station, said he had submitted complaints to the city police commissioner and the FRRO seeking immediate action. “We demand that the police register an FIR immediately and begin an investigation,” Hussain said.