Son in UAE jail, kin seek help

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23

Reportedly missing in the UAE since November, Bholath youth Khushwinder Singh has been traced to a jail in Ajman city of that country. He was arrested for want of legal documents.

While Khushwinder’s mother Paramjit Kaur and his sister Satinderjit Kaur have heaved a sigh of relief that he is alive, they are clueless on how to get him out of the jail.

Khushwinder’s tragic fate is just another in a series of tragedies faced by Paramjit Kaur, who had earlier lost her husband and parents-in-law in a terrorist attack at Marhi Maur village in Tarn Taran on May 5, 1989. She then got married to her husband’s younger brother, who left her with another son, who has now ended up in a jail in the foreign land.

The Tribune had reported how Khushwinder had been missing since November and another 26 youths were trapped in the UAE for the want of legal documents. Neither the state nor the Central government has come to their rescue so far.

“My son called me from the jail after he was allowed to make a call home. A Punjabi family based in Dubai is helping him. I thank God that he is alive but I wonder who will help me to bring him back home,” said Paramjit Kaur, while talking to The Tribune.

Her daughter Satinderjit Kaur said she had a bitter experience as no one from the state and Central government and especially the Ministry of External Affairs had helped them so far. She has again urged them for help.

“I tweeted to the External Affairs Minister and Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh about my brother going missing in the UAE. We got no response. Now we have traced him on our own and hope the government will help him,” said Satinderjit Kaur.

They have alleged that Khushwinder chose to go abroad due to lack of jobs in the state. They also allege in an FIR lodged at the NRI police station, Kapurthala, that travel agent Mandeep Singh from Ludhiana and AP Singh from Amritsar had lured him with a false promise of a lucrative job in the UAE.

“The agents are yet to be arrested, though the FIR was lodged against them on May 8,” said Satinderjit Kaur.

Satinderjit Kaur is also awaiting a government job under the terrorists’ victim quota. “The previous government could not provide me a job under the terror victim quota. The government provides one job against each member of a family killed by terrorists. My mother was given job promptly and the second went to my foster father. The third job is still pending. I have submitted a fresh application to Minister of Education OP Soni.”