20 youths stuck in Riyadh rescued

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 28

AAP state convener Bhagwant Mann today highlighted the plight of 20 Indian youths who had been putting up in deplorable conditions at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for the past three months.

As many as 15 are from Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr in Punjab with two each hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and one from Panipat. Mann said the 20 youths returned to India four days ago.

The youth were stuck in the foreign land without money and with minimal food after being duped by travel agents who had sent them abroad on the pretext of lucrative jobs.

Accompanied by the youths, Mann demanded FIRs against travel agents who had duped the youths. He sought jobs for the rescued youth as promised by the Captain Amarinder Singh government.

The youths claimed as many as 2,000 Indian youths were stuck in Saudi Arabia. They said many had died and their bodies had been stuck there for the past two years.

Mann said he received a video SOS from the youths through Facebook. Then, he brought the issue to the notice of the Ministry of External Affairs. Following that, the youths were issued emergency cards and the process of bringing them back to India was initiated.

Charanjeet Kumar of Chabbewal village in Hoshiarpur said, “We were promised jobs as drivers that would fetch us 1,700 Saudi riyals. For it, Rs 1.5 lakh were taken from my agent Raju Pathania at Chabbewal. He handed me over to an agent Al Amar in Mumbai.

“Upon reaching there, we were told that as there were only 10 vehicles and 50 drivers, all could not be given jobs. We were made to sign a document stating we would get only 1,100 riyals if we wanted to eat. “We were fed rice — which even animals wouldn’t eat — all the time. Over 20-25 of us were made to stay in small dingy rooms. We were told that anyone unwilling to tow the line could go back to India on a payment of Rs 1.5 lakh.

“After Mann’s complaints to the MEA and Union Minister Sushma Swaraj, the embassy called us on our numbers,” Charanjeet said.

The youths said even after Mann’s intervention, the embassy first sent Al Amar personnel, who asked them to sign documents that they were not in talks with the Indian Embassy nor Mann.

“We refused to do that and had to wait 15 more days after which the embassy responded under pressure. After our return, we talked to our agents but they refused to return our money,” they said.

Mann said, “The process to bring back 20 more youths is also on. I know of at least two youths from Punjab — one who died six months ago and another who died 11 months ago. Their bodies are stuck there.

Book travel agents, demands Mann  

• Bhagwant Mann demanded FIRs against all travel agents who had duped the youths. 
• He sought jobs for the rescued youths as ‘promised’ by the Captain Amarinder Singh government.