Sold and harassed, woman rescued from Oman, thanks to Seechewal

A woman from Jalandhar district has returned home after experiencing a traumatic ordeal in Oman. Her rescue was made possible by the efforts of Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, who coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy to facilitate her safe return.

According to the survivor, she had travelled to Oman, seeking employment to support her family amid severe financial hardship. However, she discovered that she had been misled. She was subjected to inhumane working conditions, denied wages, deprived of basic necessities, and physically abused. Her account suggests that she was coerced into forced labour and lived under constant threat.

Shockingly, the woman alleges that her own sister-in-law played a role in the trafficking. She said the relative, in collaboration with a recruitment agent, had arranged her travel and later sold her in Oman for ₹4 lakh. Betrayed by someone she trusted, she found herself isolated in a foreign country, without legal recourse or shelter.

Her situation worsened when she tried to escape. For nearly two months, she said, she lived on the streets of Oman without support. During this time, she encountered other Indian women in similar circumstances —many from Punjab, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh— who remained stranded.

She recounted witnessing a deeply disturbing incident in which a young woman was violently dragged by her hair and forced into a car, an image she said left her emotionally scarred and hopeless about returning home.

Despite her ordeal, she managed to contact her family and her husband approached Seechewal with the details of her situation. Responding swiftly, Seechewal reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Muscat. The coordination resulted in the woman’s return to India within 10 days.

Speaking to the mrdia, Seechewal expressed concern over the growing incidents of human trafficking involving job scams. “It is tragic that a girl, already orphaned and vulnerable, was betrayed by her own family. This incident reflects a serious moral and social breakdown,” he said. He urged the public to remain vigilant against traffickers posing as recruitment agents and called for stricter government action against such criminal networks.

The survivor also revealed that her family in India had filed a false theft complaint against her after she left, a tactic she believes was used to complicate her legal status and obstruct her escape. She stated that other women in similar situations face the same strategy, which discourages them from seeking help or returning home.

The authorities have not released the names of the individuals involved to protect the survivor’s privacy and safety. Human rights organisations have stressed the need for systemic reforms, better regulation of overseas recruitment practices, and stronger repatriation support mechanisms for trafficked individuals.

As investigations continue, the survivor and her family have expressed deep gratitude to Seechewal and the Indian government for acting quickly. Her story serves as a reminder of the urgent need for collective action to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.