Hakki Pikki traders stranded in Chad over visa extension

Exam-focused facts from the 7 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Eight Hakki Pikki traders from Karnataka are stranded in Chad after their passports were seized over alleged illegal stay.
The group applied for a visa extension 14 days before expiry but officials delayed the process.
An immigration official demanded $2,000 per person as penalty for overstaying and threatened imprisonment.
The Indian Embassy in Chad advised paying the fine and offered no further assistance.
The stranded traders are currently in Abeche, about 900 km from N'Djamena, Chad's capital.