The travails of Deep Shah and Parth Trivedi began in the early hours of April 15 when they were that they cannot cross the Indo-Bhutan International Border as it has been "sealed" in view of the polls.
After several instances of Railways and External Affairs Ministry using the social media to help people in distress, border guarding force SSB helped two Ahmedabad residents cross over to India with the aid of Twitter after they got stuck in Bhutan when the border was sealed for the Assembly polls in West Bengal.
The travails of Deep Shah and Parth Trivedi began in the early hours of April 15 when they were told in Bhutan, while packing their luggage for the journey back home, that they cannot cross the Indo-Bhutan International Border as it has been "sealed" in view of the polls.
The duo said they checked with the Indian Embassy in Bhutan but the "phone operator was helpless" as to how to help them. They found the only way out by taking a flight was expensive.
Mr Shah then took to Twitter and wrote about his problem and tagged numerous official handles of the government like those of Prime Minister's Office, the MEA and Sushma Swaraj, MoS General VK Singh, Railway Ministry and Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with the plea that he be allowed inside India as they had a train to catch from Hasimara in West Bengal the same evening.
"Mam, we are in Bhutan, we heard that border gate to India is sealed due to election. V have train to catch at @5pm. wouldnt we allowed to enter our own country? #stuckinbhutan," Mr Shah tweeted to the West Bengal chief minister's handle.
Getting restless after there was no response to his tweets in the early hours of April 15, Mr Shah then tagged Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's handle seeking help.
"Sir, v r in Bhutan, border gate sealed due 2 election in WB, we need to get back to our country. Pls help," he wrote to Mr Tharoor.
Mr Tharoor, who was awake, responded: "Attn @SushmaSwaraj this young Indian says hes #stuckinBhutan bcos border gates closed due to elections in Bengal?"
The tweet was soon noticed by Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) Inspector General Renuka Mishra, at its headquarters in New Delhi, on her personal Id and she acknowledged that it "Pays to stay up late Happy to help."
Ms Mishra, who also manages the forces Twitter handle @DGSSB, responded to Mr Shah asking "Where exactly are you right now and what is your contact number. Saw your tweet to @ShashiTharoor #stuckinbhutan".