‘Dunki’ route: Youth from Hoshiarpur held hostage in Iran, agents demand ransom

Despite the recent deportation of hundreds of youths who reached America by “dunki”, the practice of using this route to reach abroad continues. A recent case in point is that of a youth from Bhagowal village in Hoshiarpur district who had set out to enter Australia illegally and fell prey to agents.

According to the family, Amritpal Singh (23), along with two other youths from Dhuri and Nawanshahr, was held hostage by Iranian agents while attempting to reach Australia. When the family received a phone call on May 1, Amritpal reportedly told them that the agents were beating them and demanding money. The family received several calls from the agents demanding ransom, starting with Rs 1 crore, which was later reduced to Rs 18 lakh per youth.

Amritpal’s father, Joginder Singh, mother, Gurdeep Kaur, and maternal uncle, Gurdev Singh, said that their son had left home last month to go to Australia through agents from Hoshiarpur. As soon as Amritpal and his two companions reached Iran, they were taken hostage. The agents initially demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore from the victim's families to release the boys. When the family expressed their inability to pay that amount, the agents started demanding Rs 54 lakh (Rs 18 lakh each).

The family has appealed to the government to rescue their son Amritpal from the clutches of the agents and bring him back. Amritpal had taken a loan and paid Rs 18 lakh to the agents from Hoshiarpur to go to Australia, and now the family is unable to pay the ransom.

Regarding the case, SHO Gursahib Singh of the Model Town police station, Hoshiarpur, stated that a case has been registered against the alleged accused agents Dheeraj, Kamal Atwal, and a woman based on the victim’s family complaint. Raids are being conducted to arrest them.