Two of Jalandhar rescued from Iraq, return home after 14-days struggle

The ordeal of Indians facing hardships in Gulf countries continues unabated.

Two men Gurpreet Singh and Sodhi Ram of Pattar Kalan in Jalandhar were duped by travel agents and sent to Iraq instead of Kuwait. They were held captive by company officials, forced into gruelling labour and denied proper food and wages.

Describing their time in Iraq as troublesome, they said a single day in captivity was like a year. Upon their return, they expressed gratitude to Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, whose timely intervention made their escape possible.

Gurpreet Singh and Sodhi Ram had taken loans to pay ₹1.85 lakh each to travel agents for job placements in Kuwait. However, on arrival, they realised they had been deceived and were instead taken to Iraq where they were exploited. Despite working under extreme conditions, they received no salary, no medical care and barely enough food to survive.

Before being allowed to leave, the company forced them to sign multiple documents likely aimed at securing legal protection for their exploitative practices. The two men had lost all hope of returning home until Seechewal intervened.

Their families, struggling with financial hardships, had reached out to Seechewal on March 15. Acting swiftly, he sought help from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy. Thanks to their coordinated efforts, Gurpreet and Sodhi were able to return to India on March 28 — just 14 days after the rescue efforts began.

Seechewal extended his gratitude to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy for their prompt action in bringing the men back. He urged Punjabis, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds, to be cautious before seeking jobs in Gulf countries.

Furthermore, he called upon law enforcement agencies to take strict action against fraudulent travel agents who exploit vulnerable job seekers.