Two local travel agents duped 14 Indian workers by allegedly sending them to work in the middle east only on tourist visas.
Once their tourist visas expired, they no longer had work visas with them and are now stranded in Saudi Arabia. 12 out of a total of 14 are from Himachal Pradesh¡¯s Mandi district while two are from Punjab.
12 of the total are in jail while two are working in a company in the middle east, police reportedly said. India Today further reported that Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur has raised the issue with Union External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj to bring them back to India.
Photo: Reuters/City of Riyadh
According to PTI, CM Thakur had called up the Union minister and asked her to personally take up the matter with Saudi Arabia authorities for their release. The chief minister has also written a letter to Ms Swaraj in this regard.
Police officials informed that the travel agents had lured them into acquiring work visas by allegedly cheating them for Rs 90,000 each. The extortioners were identified as Mohammad Asif and Qadir who were charged under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
None of the agents, however, have been arrested so far as the matter is under investigation. Police officer Gurudev Sharma informed that in one of the complaints filed by a Sundernagar resident, Saroj whose husband Harjinder Singh is one of the 14 stranded people that their husbands were assured that they will be sent on work visas.
Photo: The National
The agents had charged Rs. 90,000 from each person as a fee for arranging their work visa and jobs at Saudi Arabia, she alleged.
Besides, Harjinder Singh, the 13 other people, who are stuck in Saudi Arabia, include Tanuj Kumar, Ravi Kant, Ashwani, Shyam Lal, Onkar Chand, Devendra Kumar, Vikram Chand, Prem Singh, Joginder Singh, Manoj Kumar, Lalit Kumar, Devender ?and Bhupendra, Saroj has said in her complaint.