Gurdaspur woman made slave in Kuwait to return home on Friday

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, July 25

A Dhariwal-based woman who was sold to a Pakistani man after an unscrupulous travel agent lured her to Kuwait on the promise of a job in July last will return home on Friday.

Middle-aged Veena Bedi was rescued following the efforts of Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and two NGOs -- one based in Kuwait and the other having its office in Canada.

The beleaguered woman who is a victim of human trafficking will fly back to India on a Gulf Air flight tomorrow. Her sons Rohit, Mohit and daughter Smriti will receive her at New Delhi airport.

On July 17, The Tribune had highlighted how Veena came into touch with travel agent Mukhtiar Singh. According to Gurdaspur SSP Swarandeep Singh, the agent used his contacts in Kuwait to sell her off to a Paksitani man working in the same country who made her work as a slave.

The police have arrested Mukhtiar Singh and are on the look-out for two for his accomplices.

After Veena’s disappearance was highlighted in the media, Rana Kanwardeep Kaur, member secretary of DLSA, got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Kuwait through mails and later via phone. Simultaneously, MP Sunny Deol also took up cudgels on her behalf by sounding officials of the External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi.

Rana also got in touch with a Kuwait-based NGO, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Club, which, incidentally, is registered with the Indian Embassy.

Finally, the Second Secretary (Labour) in Indian embassy, Sibi U.S. informed Rana yesterday that a contact with the woman had been established and she would be arriving in India on July 26 morning.

Since Veena had been sold to a Pakistani for 1,200 Dinar (Rs 2.70 lakh), the Embassy agreed to pay back him after her release.

A Canada based NGO -- randhawazhelpinecanada -- agreed to pay her airfare. The NGO instructed its agent Raman in Kuwait to get in touch with the Embassy and hand over the amount for airfare.

Meanwhile, the DLSA has deputed Vikram Singh to counsel Veena Devi. The authority will also be providing skill development initiatives to her with the help of various Punjab government schemes.