No headway in Paramjit case, family loses hope

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 18

Despite her case being monitored personally by Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, there has been no hope for Paramjit Kaur, the woman stranded in Saudi Arabia since July this year.

The Jalandhar rural Police so far have unable to arrest Resham Bhatti, the agent who lured Paramjit into signing the job bond for two years. According to the bond, she would have to pay Rs 4.5 lakh to her employer if she left the job before two years.

While the Union Government and the state government have maintained silence on the issue, the family is running from pillar to post to get the bond money arranged to pay to the Saudi employer.

While SSP (Rural) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar has claimed that efforts are on to nab the accused and the teams were even sent to Delhi to arrest the agent there, there has been no hope for Paramjit’s family which has even lost contact with her family since November 4 this month.

“She last spoke to her on November 4 and her phone got switched off later. The agent though was yet to be arrested by the police, he is in regular touch with the Saudi employer and is informing him about every detail of the case. The employer snatched phone from her after the agent informed them about her calls made back home,” said Naresh, a family friend.

Meanwhile, the family’s condition has gone from bad to worse in the last few months. Paramjit’s younger daughter has left school to take care of her ailing grandmother who is around 90 years of age and her husband Malkiat Singh has gone into depression.

“She left home to secure a bright future for her family, but her own life was into danger now. I urgently appeal to the MEA and the Punjab Government to secure the release of Paramjit,” said Captain Sharma, a social worker who is making strenuous efforts to bring Paramjit back.

Bhai Sandeep Singh of Damdami Taksal too assured to provide monetary help to Paramjit’s family. He said the Taksal would pay the money to the Indian High Commission in Riyadh to secure her release. He recently paid around Rs 1 lakh to arrange return ticket for Reena to bring her back from Saudi Arabia.