Sold in Kuwait, Gurdaspur woman to return today

Tribune News Service

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Gurdaspur, July 25

A Dhariwal-based middle-aged woman, who was lured by a unscrupulous agent to travel to Kuwait where she was promised a job but was later sold to a Pakistani man in July last year, has been rescued following the efforts of MP Sunny Deol, Gurdaspur District Legal Services Authority and two NGOs — one in Kuwait and the other having its office in Canada.

Veena Bedi, the woman who is a victim of human trafficking, is all set to fly back to India on a Gulf Air flight on Friday. Her sons Rohit, Mohit and daughter Smriti will be reaching the New Delhi airport to bring her back to Dhariwal.

After Veena’s disappearance was highlighted in the media, Rana Kanwardeep Kaur, member secretary of the DLSA, got in touch with the Embassy of India in Kuwait through mails and later through telephone. Simultaneously, MP Sunny Deol also took up cudgels on her behalf by sounding out 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) to the Government of India in the Indian Embassy informed Rana on Wednesday that contact with the woman had been established and she would be arriving in India on July 26 morning.

Since the woman had been sold to the Pakistani for 1,200 Dinar (Rs 2.7 lakh), the Embassy, in a goodwill gesture, agreed to payback the money to get the woman released. Simultaneously, a Canada-based NGO Randhawazhelpinecanada agreed to pay her airfare.

Was enslaved by Pak national

On July 17, The Tribune had highlighted how Veena Bedi came into touch with a travel agent, Mukhtiar Singh. The agent, according to Gurdaspur SSP Swarandeep Singh, used his contacts in Kuwait to sell her off to a Pakistani man working in the same country who made her work as a slave. The police have arrested Mukhtiar Singh and are on the lookout for two of his aides