Makkah: Indian journalist Risha Hussain, who works with TV9 Bharatvarsh, was reportedly detained in Saudi Arabia while performing Umrah, according to media reports. Her family said it has been unable to contact her since Wednesday, September 30.
Hussain, who is from Jaipur, left New Delhi on the morning of Monday, September 28, her sister Kainat Jafri said. According to Jafri, Hussain had completed her Umrah and was scheduled to travel to Madinah.
Hussain last contacted a friend at around 6–7 pm Indian time on Wednesday, September 30, telling her that she was being detained and asking her to inform the family.
The circumstances surrounding the reported detention remain unclear.
Hussain’s recent Instagram posts show her during her Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah. In one post, she is seen wearing a white headscarf, while another video shows her performing Tawaf around the Kaaba and touching it. A separate post shows her wearing a lavender abaya and hijab while riding an escalator at the Grand Mosque, with the Makkah Clock Tower visible in the background.
Risha Hussain’s journalism career
Hussain is a journalist and news anchor from Jaipur. Her public profile says she has worked with news organisations including Zee News, NDTV and First India News, and is currently associated with TV9 Bharatvarsh.
During her stint at First India News, she worked as a news reader in Jaipur and handled writing, copy editing, research and coordination for news programmes. Her profile also mentions her reporting on the Nuh violence and Odisha train accident, along with coverage of festivals including Holi and Eid.
