Kerala vlogger whose ‘life was at risk’ in Afghanistan after ‘arrest’ shares next move

Kerala travel vlogger Arunima said she was safe after claiming she was detained in Bamyan while travelling alone. She thanked the Indian Embassy for help and said she would arrange to leave Afghanistan from Kabul.

A Kerala-based travel vlogger shared an update about her safety after claiming she was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for travelling alone.

A Kerala-based travel vlogger, who claimed she was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for travelling alone, has shared an update on her safety and plans to leave the country.

Arunima, who goes by the name Backpacker Arunima on social media, had shared an SOS from Bamyan earlier this week, seeking help in contacting the Indian Embassy. She claimed she had been arrested by the “Mujahideen” and shared a translated message stating that she did not have an official letter. She later said she was allowed to leave after reaching a settlement with Taliban members.

In a new video shared on Instagram on Tuesday, Arunima said she was safe and travelling from Bamyan to Kabul with two people accompanying her. She also thanked the Indian Embassy for helping her.

“I am safe in Afghanistan now. All the government officials here came to my room this morning and spoke to me. I had also been in touch with the Indian Embassy,” she said, adding: “I am travelling safely now. The Indian Embassy has been helping me. Thank you, Indian Embassy.”

Recalling the previous day’s incident, Arunima said she was extremely frightened and was not in the mental state to record a video.

“I was in a very difficult situation yesterday. I panicked and was extremely scared. At that point, I was not in the mental state to make videos, so I did not record any videos,” she said.

Reports of her “arrest,” she said, caused panic among her family members and friends, who repeatedly called her to check on her safety.

Arunima, in fact, also rejected claims that she had staged the incident to gain reach on social media.

“I have nothing but contempt for people who say things like that. My life was at risk,” she said, adding that anyone with common sense would understand how absurd such a claim was.

She said her immediate priority was to reach Kabul safely and make arrangements to leave Afghanistan.

“As soon as I reach Kabul, I will look into arrangements to exit the country,” she said, thanking everyone who supported her and the Indian Embassy for its assistance.

In her earlier SOS message, Arunima had claimed she was in trouble in Bamyan and sought assistance in contacting the Indian Embassy. She shared what she described as a translation of an official communication that read, “You were arrested by the Mujahideen just now because you do not have an official letter.”

The post did not provide details about the circumstances of her alleged detention or identify the individuals involved.

In a subsequent detailed social media post, Arunima said authorities in Bamyan had told her that women could not travel alone under the laws of the country. As per her account, the authorities claimed she had violated the law and would be arrested.

Nearly three hours after sharing the SOS message, she said she had been allowed to leave after reaching a settlement with Taliban members.

Arunima, who has over one million followers on Instagram, has been travelling across Afghanistan for some time and documenting her experiences on social media. As per her social media posts, she had also decided to wear a purdah during most of her travels in an effort to make her experience easier in the country.