Jagraon woman illegally detained in Oman, returns

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, May 30

A Jagraon-based woman who went to Dubai through an agent on a tourist visa was illegally detained in Oman for over two weeks.

The agent in connivance with the two Dubai-based agents demanded Rs 2.15 lakh extortion to let her go to her native place. Fortunately, she managed to escape from the clutches of the agents. After taking help from the Indian embassy there, she reached her village in Jagraon.

The booked suspects have been identified as Vicky Singh, a resident of Bassian village in Raikot, Krishan Lal of Dubai and an unidentified woman agent from Oman.

Complainant Veerpal Kaur, a resident of Dholan village in Jagraon, told the police that she wanted to settle abroad on a work visa. Her mother Gurpreet Kaur knew the travel agent, Vicky. She talked to the agent who promised to send her daughter to Dubai and also assured that he would arrange a good job for her there.

On March 14 this year, she boarded a Dubai flight from the Delhi airport. A female agent, counterpart of agent Vicky, took her passport and other documents and employed her as a domestic help at the house of an Arab family, victim said.

Since the family had a big house and several family members, she faced difficulty in doing all household works. As a result, she refused to work at the house. Later, the female agent took her to her office in Oman where she illegally detained her for over two weeks. One day she managed to escape from the clutches of the woman agent and reached the Indian Embassy,” the victim said.

She said since her passport was not returned by the female agent, the embassy made a temporary passport for her and helped her return to India.

The woman said the suspects were also demanding Rs 2.15 lakh from her to return her passport and her family had already sent Rs 1 lakh to them. Even after that they did not allow her to go as they were demanding the remaining amount.

SI Jagraj Singh said the woman was detained illegally abroad. He said there was no sexual exploitation, the woman went abroad for doiing a job.

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