3 Punjab men, who went missing in Iran, rescued
Three Indians who were abducted in Iran last month have been freed by Tehran police, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The rescued men - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, and Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur - had travelled to Iran on May 1 after being lured by a travel agency with promises of a safe route and job prospects in Australia. However, shortly after their arrival in Tehran, the trio were abducted and held captive by their traffickers, who then demanded ransom from their families back in India.
The Iranian Embassy in India announced the rescue via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirming the successful police operation in Varamin, a town south of Tehran. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular affairs department coordinated the efforts alongside local police.
"Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police," the Embassy posted.
Indian authorities were alerted to the situation after the families of the abducted youths began receiving ransom calls. According to Jaspal Singh's brother Balwinder Singh, the abductors initially demanded ₹1 crore, later reducing it to ₹18 lakh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India swiftly intervened, working with Iranian counterparts to trace and rescue the victims.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a May 29 briefing, "We are in daily touch with Iranian authorities and extending all possible help to the families. We've received good cooperation from Iran."
The Indian Embassy in Iran also issued a statement earlier, affirming its commitment to ensuring the men's safety and staying in regular contact with their families.
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