3 back home after Ukraine ordeal

Our Correspondent  

Tarn Taran, December 17

Three youths of Doaba, who were in captivity for the last 10 months in Ukraine, were freed and brought back to India on Sunday.

The youths were illegally sent to Ukraine by a group of fake travel agents headed by Sandeep Singh of Sangha village, 8 km from here.

The group members have been booked under Sections 420, 342 and 120B of the IPC and Section 13 of the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012.

The youths, who belonged to Jalandhar district, have been identified as Hardeep Singh, Gurpreet Ram and Ravi Kumar. 

SSP Darshan Singh Mann said he got a call from Ukraine by Hardeep Singh a week back who told him that they were in police custody. He told the SSP that the travel agents took over Rs 20 lakh from them to send them to Germany but they were taken to Ukraine on a tourist visa where they were detained by the police.

They further said they were facing hardships in Ukraine. The associates of the agents took their passports and other belongings. 

The SSP said the issue was brought into the notice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after which the youths could be released. He said one of the gang members had been arrested and further investigation was underway.

Captive for 10 months 

• The youths were illegally sent to Ukraine by a group of fake travel agents
• The youths, who belonged to Jalandhar district, have been identified as Hardeep Singh, Gurpreet Ram and Ravi Kumar
• They were in captivity for the last 10 months in Ukraine. They were freed and brought back to India on Sunday