Amritsar youth rescued from Iran after days of torture; Tarun Chugh credits PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar

New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) A youth from Punjab's Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh, who was trapped in Iran after falling prey to human traffickers, has safely returned home following swift intervention by the Indian government.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, on Sunday, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for ensuring Gurpreet's safe return.

BJP leader Chugh, talking to IANS in Amritsar, said the case was extremely emotional and sensitive, as Gurpreet's family had been living in constant anxiety for two weeks after videos of his ordeal surfaced on social media.

"Thanks to the timely intervention of the government, the youth has been rescued and reunited with his family. We deeply appreciate the efforts of the Prime Minister, the External Affairs Minister, and the Indian High Commission for their prompt action," he said.

Recounting his harrowing experience, Gurpreet told IANS that he had initially applied for a student and tourist visa to the UK through legal means but turned to an agent after repeated rejections.

"The agents promised to send me abroad through another route, but once I reached Iran, they locked me in a hotel room and started demanding money. There would some other people also with me, including one person from Rajasthan. But I don't know if he has returned to India or not," he said

Gurpreet also added, "They would call my family and demand Rs 50 lakh. They also used to beat me and kept me under constant threat. It felt like I would never return alive."

He said that he was subjected to physical and mental torture and urged other youths not to fall for the false promises of agents.

"I will never repeat this mistake again. I want to tell others to follow legal procedures only," he added.

BJP leader Chugh cautioned the younger generation against being misled by agents, who lure them with dreams of easy foreign settlement.

"No illegal route or shortcut can bring prosperity -- it only brings suffering and danger," he warned.

Gurpreet's father, Balkar Singh, thanked the Indian government and the Ministry of External Affairs for their support.

"My son was stuck in Iran for 14 days and suffered a lot. But the government helped us at every step, and now he is back home safely," he said with relief.

--IANS

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