Tehran/Chandigarh, June 4: Three Indian nationals from Punjab, who went missing in Iran last month after falling prey to a fraudulent travel network, have been rescued by Tehran police, the Iranian Embassy in India confirmed on Tuesday.
Amritpal Singh, Jaspal Singh, and Hushanpreet Singh — residents of Hoshiarpur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, and Sangrur respectively — were reportedly abducted shortly after arriving in Tehran on May 2. The men had been misled by travel agents who promised them a safe passage to Australia via Iran.
“The Tehran police have freed the Indian nationals,” the Iranian Embassy posted on X, noting that the case was actively pursued by Iran’s foreign ministry and consular affairs department in coordination with Indian authorities.
The families, who initially received ransom calls after losing contact with the men, had approached the Indian government for help. The Indian Embassy in Tehran took up the matter, prompting a swift response from Iranian authorities.
Amritpal Singh’s uncle, Gurdev Singh, said the family received a call from him on Tuesday. “He spoke briefly using the Iranian police official’s phone. He didn’t share much, only that he’s safe and being taken for a medical check-up,” Gurdev told reporters.
According to Amritpal, the kidnappers had been arrested and were now in police custody.
For Jaspal Singh’s family in Langroya village near Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, the past month had been a nightmare. His relative, Balwinder Singh, described the ordeal: “We were made to watch them over video calls, thinking it might be the last time. The abductors first demanded ₹1 crore, later reducing it to ₹18 lakh.”
Jaspal briefly contacted his family on Tuesday morning. His wife, Kuldeep Kaur, expressed immense relief. “We are thankful to the Indian government and Ministry of External Affairs. My daughters and I have been living in fear, but now we know he’s coming home,” she said.
Ramesh Sharma, maternal uncle of Hushanpreet Singh, said the family learned of the rescue through news channels before receiving a call directly from the trio. “They told us the Iranian police had rescued them and arrested the kidnappers, who were of Pakistani origin,” Sharma said.
“We’re grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for their intervention,” he added.
Back in India, a first information report has been filed against the Hoshiarpur-based travel agents — two brothers and a woman accomplice — who orchestrated the fraudulent plan. They remain absconding.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Kumar Malik has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a Deputy Superintendent to track down and arrest the accused.
“The SIT is actively working on leads to bring the culprits to justice,” said an official from the Model Town police station, where the case was registered.
The rescue marks a rare success story in the often-dangerous world of illegal migration networks, exposing both the vulnerability of job-seeking youth and the transnational cooperation required to bring them home.
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