Shahpur: Woman trapped in Oman rescued

Dharamsala, January 9

A resident of Kutharna village in Shahpur Assembly constituency, Pavana, who had gone to Dubai to work as a domestic help, has been rescued and has reached Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia safely today.

Pavana was allegedly duped by travel agents from Chandigarh who offered to send her to Dubai to work as a domestic help. However, she was taken to Oman where her passport and other papers were taken and she was subjected to work as a forced labourer without any wages.

Kewal Singh Pathania, Congress MLA from Shahpur Assembly constituency, said former Pradhan of Kanol village Nirmal Singh had come to him with the plight of Pavana. Since it was a serious matter, I raised this matter with CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu in Delhi last Wednesday, he said.

Pathania said that 24-year-old Pavana had gone to Dubai to work as a domestic help on December 16 through an agent from Chandigarh. The girl, belonging to a poor family, had made a video call to her brother after boarding the plane in Delhi on December 16 and after that there was no trace of her. On Tuesday, the family received a voice message from an unknown number from Oman, in which the girl said she and seven-eight other girls had been taken to Oman and their lives were in danger, he said. Pathania further said Pavana told her brother through a voice message that her passport and mobile phone had also been taken away by some people. Her brother lodged a complaint with the police that his sister had been cheated by the agent and her life was in danger.

After the matter came to my notice, I submitted a letter to the CM for immediate intervention in the matter. The CM placed this issue before the Ministry of External Affairs, as a result of which Kutharna’s daughter reached the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia today safely, he said.