4 more Mandi youths return from Riyadh

Tribune News Service

Mandi, February 7

The families of the four youths of Mandi district, who were trapped in Riyadh jail in Saudi Arabia for the past couple of months, heaved a sigh of relief after they reached home late yesterday.

Ravikant of Jadol village, Shyam Lal of Kanaid village and Bikram Chand and Bhupender Kumar, both natives of Rati village, reached their homes, much to the relief of their family members.

Narrating their tale of woe, Ravikant and Shyam Lal said, “Time spent there was a horrible experience. Nobody was there to provide help. The life in jail was like living in a hell. There were no medical facilities even for the sick”.

They said that three trapped youth Devender, Tanuj and Pawan were still waiting for their return.

It was in July last year, when three travel agents of Mandi district had sent 13 youths abroad on tourist visa for three months. They promised that after expiry of the tourist visa they will be provided work visa to stay in Saudi Arabia and they would be able to do job in a private company. The travel agents had charged Rs 90,000 from each person to send them abroad.

Their trouble started when their tourist visa expired and their employer denied them work visa. Finding stuck, the youths surrendered before local police, who locked them up in jail.